7 votes

Even four-year-olds dislike freeloaders. Young children expect cooperation and are willing to work to sustain it.

2 comments

  1. [2]
    MimicSquid
    Link
    That's heartening, both the initial desire for cooperation and the empathy for those who truly can't contribute on the same level. Sadly the scientific article is locked behind a paywall (open...

    That's heartening, both the initial desire for cooperation and the empathy for those who truly can't contribute on the same level. Sadly the scientific article is locked behind a paywall (open science for all!), so unless someone has access and can rehost we can't discuss the details or see what populations were tested.

    I'm curious as to how this changes as we age and what might cause it. The article and abstract say "as young as 4", but don't specify the age range tested. Many people do harden their hearts to the plight of others as they age; what leads to that?

    3 votes
    1. Banisher
      Link Parent
      Yeah, sorry about the actual paper being behind a paywall, sadly I have no way to access it either. About the rest, I think that everybody wants what's fair. Even chimps don't like freeloaders,...

      Yeah, sorry about the actual paper being behind a paywall, sadly I have no way to access it either.

      About the rest, I think that everybody wants what's fair. Even chimps don't like freeloaders, and punish it during activities that require cooperation to succeed. Maybe at some point you realize that life isn't fair, that despite you working harder, other kids might have more things than you. Or else you see that the those that cheat seem to get further ahead. I wonder if it's even possible to pinpoint any one thing, it might just be lots of little things.