Which group should join the Reading Club?

For 5- to 8-year-olds

First, you will complete two questionnaires about your beliefs about social groups. Then, your child will learn about two different groups of students on a faraway planet. They will also learn about a school and a Reading Club on the planet. Your child will count how many students are in the Reading Club. Then, they will decide who gets to join the Reading Club. Finally, they will answer questions about the social hierarchies on the planet, fairness, and conformity.

As adults, we have different opinions about the under-representation of marginalized groups (gender, race) in elite fields. Should we intervene to increase representation (in the name of fairness), or step back (in the name of fairness)? Many factors may impact our answers to these questions. In this study, we are curious about how young children, who are just learning about the world around them, address under-representation. Do they use equity-based (i.e., disadvantaged people should get more) or equality-based (i.e., everyone should get the same) solutions to rectify under-representation? How do their developing political attitudes guide their decisions? Understanding the emergence of equity-based vs. equality-based thinking in this context will inform conversations with parents and educators about equity in the classroom.

20 minutes

We will email you a $5 Amazon.com gift card within a week of participation. To be eligible for the gift card: (1) your child must be in the age range for this study, (2) English is (one of) your child's first language(s), (3) you need to submit a valid consent statement, and (4) we need to see that there is a child with you during the experiment. You must start the study to receive compensation, but you may stop at any time and still receive compensation. Each child is eligible to participate to receive a gift card only once; participants cannot do the study more than once for compensation.