Why Do Some People Earn More Than Others?

For 6- to 10-year-olds who are English-speaking

In this study, your child will hear a story about people earning different amounts of salary for different reasons. After the story, your child will be asked a few questions about what they think—for example, if it's ok that one person earns more, how much would they give each person if they could decide the salary, and what are some good ways to help the person earning less. In addition, we will also ask your child about the types of inequalities they see in their everyday lives and what they think about it.

In everyday life, some people earn more money than others. People often explain these differences in different ways—for example, by focusing on how hard someone works or how skilled they are, or by pointing to outside factors like opportunities, resources, or unfair treatment.

Research has shown that even young children begin to notice differences in wealth and status, but we still know relatively little about how they explain why these differences exist. Do children think people earn more because they deserve it, or because of other factors beyond their control? How do they evaluate whether these differences are fair? By learning more about children’s early ideas, we can better understand how beliefs about inequality and meritocracy develop over time.

20 minutes

$7 online gift card within a week of participation . Limited to one gift card per participant, and the child must be within the specified age range and visible in the consent video to qualify.