Age-related changes in children's accent-based resource distribution.

ABSTRACT

Children display explicit social preferences for native-accented and same-race peers, but when these two markers are in conflict, they prefer native-accented other-race peers over foreign-accented same-race peers. However, to what extent do these preferences translate into children's behavior toward others? This study investigated children's resource distribution decisions based on photographs of unfamiliar children who differed in accent and race. A total of 77 native English-speaking, White 5- to 10-year-old children were given three coins to distribute to pairs of recipients, with an option to distribute equally by discarding a resource. Children under 7 years gave selectively more coins to recipients who shared their accent and race, whereas children aged 7 and 8 years gave more coins to their accent in-group only when it was paired with the out-group race. Children aged 9 and 10 years consistently gave more coins to their accent in-group despite the racial category. It was concluded that, with age, accent becomes an increasingly used social marker in guiding children's resource distribution decisions.