When school lunch is delayed for an hour due to an unexpected power outage in the cafeteria, 14-year-old Henrietta is asked to share her box of home-baked cookies with her classmates. Given what developmental researchers have learned about how distributive justice and children's sense of fairness change with age, we would expect Henrietta to:
A) Share the cookies equally among her classmates
B) Hide about a third of the cookies for herself and hand out the rest
C) Share the cookies equally, but give any extra cookies to classmates whose families don't have much money
D) Refuse to share any of the cookies, arguing that she baked them herself and so has every right to keep them for herself

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Developmental researchers have found that as children grow older, their sense of fairness evolves from a simple equality-based approach to a more nuanced understanding that takes into account individual needs and circumstances. By the age of 14, Henrietta is likely to recognize the importance of equity and may choose to distribute resources (in this case, cookies) not only equally but also with consideration for the needs of her classmates, such as giving extra cookies to those whose families are less fortunate.

When School Lunch Is Delayed for an Hour Due to an Unexpected