Productivity, distributive justice, and bargaining among children

Examined the attitudes and bargaining behavior of 96 9-12 yr. old boys and girls with respect to the division of rewards following differential productivity. Same-sex pairs of friends, nonfriends, and neutrals were constituted, and 1 member in each pair passed a reading test which made toys available for play. Results indicate that (a) when paired with a friend or nonfriend, successful boys found allocations which favored themselves more acceptable and an equal allocation less acceptable than did boys who failed; (b) passing and failing boys paired with a neutral other chose allocations which favored themselves; (c) both successful and unsuccessful girls paired with a mutual friend or neutral other gave highest acceptability ratings to an equal division; (d) girls resolved the bargaining problem, which did not permit an equal division, by agreeing to an equity solution more often than did male pairs; and (e) the preferences and bargaining outcomes of girls paired with nonfriends were similar to those of male friends and nonfriends. Content-category analysis of the bargaining sessions revealed differences between experimental conditions, particularly between female friends and nonfriends. Results are explained in terms of differences in the typical socialization experiences of males and females.