Shinrigaku Kenkyu. 1991 Feb;61(6):384-91. doi: 10.4992/jjpsy.61.384.

[The effects of the ratio of contribution and situational factors on reward allocation among school-aged children].

Shinrigaku kenkyu : The Japanese journal of psychology

[Article in Japanese]
Y Watanabe

PMID: 2062023 DOI: 10.4992/jjpsy.61.384

Abstract

The purposes of this study were 1) to investigate the influence of the ratio of contribution to the task between two persons on children's selecting reward allocation principles, and 2) to clarify this influence on them in both cooperative and competitive conditions. In Study I, there were two kinds of conditions of ratio of contribution to the task which was required to fold newspapers, that is, three to one and three to two. For example, a subject folded 150 newspapers while his/her partner folded 50 newspapers in the three to one condition. Subjects were 444 school-aged children from 3rd, 4th, 5th, to 6th grade. Subjects who completed the task at a ratio of three to one tended to prefer using the equity principle more than subjects who did the task at a ratio of three to two, whereas more subjects in the latter tended to divide equally than the former. In Study II, subjects were 373 2nd-, 4th-, and 6th-graders. The results indicate that children in a competitive condition appeared to have a preference for equitable allocation than in a cooperative one, and that children in the cooperative condition selected equality principle because of keeping good human relations.

Similar articles

MeSH terms

• Child
• Competitive Behavior
• Cooperative Behavior
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Psychology, Child*
• Reward*
• Task Performance and Analysis

Publication Types

• English Abstract
• Journal Article

LinkOut - more resources

• Medical
  • MedlinePlus Health Information