Classroom peer preferences and the development of sharing behavior with friends and others

Abstract

This study examined the sex-specific developmental trajectories of sharing behavior in the Dictator Game with an anonymous other, best friend, and disliked peer and associations with peer likeability and peer dislikeability in 1,108 children (50.5% boys) followed annually across grades 2–6 (ages 8–12) of elementary school. Results showed that sharing with an anonymous other and disliked peer remained stable over time. Sharing with a best friend decreased slightly between grades 2 and 5 and then remained stable. Girls consistently shared more with all recipients than boys. Moreover, children who were liked by classmates shared more with a best friend, while disliked children shared less with all recipients. Findings emphasize the importance of considering characteristics of both recipient and actor when studying the development of sharing behavior.