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Collaboration encourages equal sharing in children but not in chimpanzees

Author

Listed:
  • Katharina Hamann

    (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany)

  • Felix Warneken

    (Harvard University, 33 Kirkland St, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA)

  • Julia R. Greenberg

    (Michigan State University)

  • Michael Tomasello

    (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany)

Abstract

Fair shares for some A striking feature of human societies, compared with those of other primates, is the egalitarian sharing of resources in many situations. However, both children and chimpanzees share resources less equitably after receiving a 'windfall'. A behavioural study of reactions to windfall payments, in which children received toys and chimps food, reveals a tendency for children as young as three to share windfalls more fairly if they were earned by a team member through a collaborative effort. This contradicts the common assumption that egalitarian tendencies emerge during the school years, at six or seven, when children learn social norms of equality. Chimps do not favour equity, whether or not windfalls were received through collaboration. The modern human tendency to distribute resources more equitably among the larger group may have roots in the sharing of spoils after joint efforts.

Suggested Citation

  • Katharina Hamann & Felix Warneken & Julia R. Greenberg & Michael Tomasello, 2011. "Collaboration encourages equal sharing in children but not in chimpanzees," Nature, Nature, vol. 476(7360), pages 328-331, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:476:y:2011:i:7360:d:10.1038_nature10278
    DOI: 10.1038/nature10278
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    Cited by:

    1. Hiromu Ito & Yuki Katsumata & Eisuke Hasegawa & Jin Yoshimura, 2016. "What Is True Halving in the Payoff Matrix of Game Theory?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(8), pages 1-10, August.
    2. Mathias Twardawski & Benjamin E Hilbig, 2020. "The motivational basis of third-party punishment in children," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(11), pages 1-14, November.
    3. Alicia P Melis & Anja Floedl & Michael Tomasello, 2015. "Non-Egalitarian Allocations among Preschool Peers in a Face-to-Face Bargaining Task," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(3), pages 1-22, March.
    4. Utteeyo Dasgupta & Chandan Kumar Jha & Sudipta Sarangi, 2021. "Persistent Patterns Of Behavior: Two Infectious Disease Outbreaks 350 Years Apart," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 59(2), pages 848-857, April.
    5. Maria Gräfenhain & Malinda Carpenter & Michael Tomasello, 2013. "Three-Year-Olds’ Understanding of the Consequences of Joint Commitments," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(9), pages 1-12, September.
    6. Stefan Feuerriegel & Mateusz Dolata & Gerhard Schwabe, 2020. "Fair AI," Business & Information Systems Engineering: The International Journal of WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK, Springer;Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI), vol. 62(4), pages 379-384, August.
    7. Felix C Brodbeck & Katharina G Kugler & Julia A M Reif & Markus A Maier, 2013. "Morals Matter in Economic Games," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(12), pages 1-1, December.
    8. James Stack & Carlos Romero-Rivas, 2020. "Merit overrules theory of mind when young children share resources with others," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(1), pages 1-15, January.
    9. Patricia Kanngiesser & Felix Warneken, 2012. "Young Children Consider Merit when Sharing Resources with Others," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(8), pages 1-5, August.
    10. Jennifer Cole & Adam Badger & Phil Brown & Oli Mould, 2022. "Social Kropotkinism: The Best ‘New Normal’ for Survival in the Post COVID-19, Climate Emergency World?," Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, Richtmann Publishing Ltd, vol. 11, November.
    11. Yen-Sheng Chiang, 2015. "Good Samaritans in Networks: An Experiment on How Networks Influence Egalitarian Sharing and the Evolution of Inequality," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(6), pages 1-13, June.
    12. Nana Adrian & Marc M ller, 2019. "Partnerships with Asymmetric Information: The Benefit of Sharing Equally amongst Unequals," Diskussionsschriften dp1904, Universitaet Bern, Departement Volkswirtschaft.
    13. Theo Toppe & Susanne Hardecker & Daniel B M Haun, 2019. "Playing a cooperative game promotes preschoolers’ sharing with third-parties, but not social inclusion," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(8), pages 1-20, August.

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