Social costs of selfishness
Greed relates to diminished sympathy and prosocial behavior in children
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 17560261 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Joanna Peplak (0000-0001-5075-6162, Simon Fraser University, corresponding author), Keng-Hie Song (Daegu University, Republic of Korea), Sebastian P Dys (0000-0001-8103-7603, University of Canterbury), Tina Malti (0000-0001-8241-1230, University of Toronto) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-10 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Behavioral Development (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0165-0254 • E-ISSN: 1464-0651 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/01650254261423839 |
| OpenAlex | W7135040902 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 46 |
We examined age-related differences in greed, how greed may be associated with sympathy (other-oriented emotion) across ages, and how greed, through its influence on sympathy, may be related to children’s prosocial actions (i.e., resource distribution and general prosocial behavior). Our sample included 6-, 9-, and 12-year-olds ( N = 196; 50% girls; 30% Asian, 29% European origins) and their primary caregivers. Caregivers reported on children’s greed, sympathy, and general prosocial behavior. Children completed tasks to assess their resource distribution (i.e., giving and taking behaviors) in a lab setting. Results showed that average levels of greed did not differ across age groups. Greed and sympathy were negatively correlated, and associations were similar in magnitude across age groups. Greed (but not sympathy) negatively predicted giving behavior and positively predicted taking behavior. In addition, sympathy accounted for the association between greed and children’s general prosocial behavior, such that higher greed related to lower sympathy and, in turn, lower prosocial behavior. This work highlights the importance of considering self-oriented and other-oriented motives in understanding children’s prosocial development and offers valuable insights into addressing broader societal challenges related to resource inequality
Helping behavior · Prosocial behavior · Resource distribution · Social preferences · Sympathy · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior · Personality Traits and Psychology
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |