14 DAY TRIAL // Fairness is one of the underlying concepts of life, and one that has been with our species since the earliest days. This is obvious when considering that even children tend to have their own, well-rooted views of what is fair and what is not. However, people seldom remain with the same concept and beliefs related to fairness that they develop as children. Most often, a change occurs as they transition to early adolescence, and that continues well into their adulthood. Researchers now take a closer look at the way this perception changes with age, LiveScience reports.
When children are small, they tend to have an egalitarian view on fairness. This means that they consider everyone should be equal, and what applies to an individual should be applied to the other as well, without discrimination. This view is predominant until around the 5th to 7th grade, when kids begin to introduce the concept of merit into their definition of fairness. This view is called meritocratic, and will form the basis for the complex meanings that they will attach to the word fair in the future. For adults, the concept will shift up to a point where fairness will be directly related to achievements, the science team behind the new investigation says.
“The idea that social experiences contribute to shape our views on fairness is fundamental to how we design optimal policies and institutions in society such as the educational system,” explains Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration in Bergen study researcher Ingvild Almas. One possible implication for this research could be that very young children should not be given grades, as this system of evaluation is based on meritocratic views. Small kids don't hold the same view on fairness as educators for many years, as they are still in the egalitarian stage, the researcher adds.
The Norwegian science team presented its latest findings in a paper published today, May 28, in the esteemed publication Science. One of the most interesting conclusions is that some adults at times consider unfair and unjust situations as acceptable, especially if money is involved. For children, such situations are always unacceptable, the researchers say. The mental changes that make older people accept things that they instinctively wouldn't have are of great interest to science. Numerous studies are currently dedicated to understanding these mechanisms.