Classic studies in developmental psychology demonstrate a relatively late development of equity, with children as old as 6 or even 8-10 years failing to follow the logic of merit--that is, giving more to those who contributed more. Following Piaget (1932), these studies have been taken to indicate that judgments of justice develop slowly and follow a stagelike progression, starting off with simple rules (e.g., equality: everyone receives the same) and only later on in development evolving into more complex ones (e.g., equity: distributions match contributions). Here, we report 2 experiments with 3- and 4-year-old children (N = 195) that contradict this constructivist account. Our results demonstrate that children as young as 3 years old are able to take merit into account by distributing tokens according to individual contributions but that this ability may be hidden by a preference for equality.

Nicolas Baumard

Olivier Mascaro

Coralie Chevallier

Developmental Psychology

Developmental Psychology ® publishes articles that significantly advance knowledge and theory about development across the life span. The journal focuses on seminal empirical contributions. The journal occasionally publishes exceptionally strong scholarly reviews and theoretical or methodological articles. Studies of any aspect of psychological development are appropriate, as are studies of the biological, social, and cultural factors that affect development.    The journal welcomes not only laboratory-based experimental studies but studies employing other rigorous methodologies, such as ethnographies, field research, and secondary analyses of large data sets. We especially seek submissions in new areas of inquiry and submissions that will address contradictory findings or controversies in the field as well as the generalizability of extant findings in new populations.    Although most articles in this journal address human development, studies of other species are appropriate if they have important implications for human development.    Submissions can consist of single manuscripts, proposed sections, or short reports.

Developmental Psychology® publishes articles that significantly advance knowledge and theory about development across the lifespan. The journal focuses on seminal empirical contributions and occasionally publishes exceptionally strong scholarly reviews and theoretical or methodological articles. Studies of any aspect of psychological development are appropriate, as are studies of the biological, social, and cultural factors that affect development. The journal welcomes not only laboratory-based experimental studies but also studies employing other rigorous methodologies, such as ethnographies, field research, and secondary analyses of large data sets. We especially seek submissions in new areas of inquiry and submissions that will address contradictory findings or controversies in the field, as well as the generalizability of extant findings in new populations. Although most articles in this journal address human development, studies of other species are appropriate if they have important implications for human development. Submissions can consist of single manuscripts, proposed sections, or short reports.

《Developmental Psychology》期刊发表显著推动人类发展知识与理论的文章，涵盖整个生命历程的各个方面。期刊重点关注重要的实证贡献，偶尔也会刊登极具学术价值的综述文章以及理论或方法论文章。任何与心理发展相关的研究都是合适的，包括影响发展的生物、社会和文化因素的研究。期刊欢迎不仅限于实验室基础的实验研究，还包括采用其他严谨方法的研究，如民族志、实地研究和大型数据集的二次分析。我们特别鼓励在新领域的研究投稿，以及针对领域内矛盾发现或争议的研究，以及在新群体中对现有发现的普遍性的探讨。尽管本期刊大多数文章关注人类发展，但如果其他物种的研究对人类发展有重要启示，也同样适合投稿。投稿形式可以是单篇手稿、提议的章节或短报告。

Preschoolers are able to take merit into account when distributing goods.

It is demonstrated that children as young as 3 years old are able to take merit into account by distributing tokens according to individual contributions but that this ability may be hidden by a preference for equality.

Category	Quartile
心理学	2
心理学, 心理学发育	2

Preschoolers are able to take merit into account when distributing goods.

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Journal Info

Category	Quartile
PSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENTAL	2