Research: Girls are more generous than boys

Junior the perception of fairness and the readiness to share one’s own with others seems to be different for girls and boys.

This notion was confirmed in a study in which children aged 3–8 were allowed to decide how much of the smiley stickers they received they gave to another child.

Children began to complain about inequality more strongly as they got older, whether they got all the stickers themselves or were about to run out.

Junior the decisions made clearly depended on gender. Girls were more willing to share their stickers.

The boys were inclined to keep everything to themselves, even if the other person was completely left out. Especially the oldest boys, 7–8 years old, preferred an unfair distribution for their own benefit rather than an equal distribution with another child.

Desire for sharing also depended on whether you had to give yours to a girl or a boy. Both genders preferred to give stickers to girls.

Older girls tolerated unfairness better if a girl rather than a boy received more stickers than them. Girls and boys alike envied the boys’ pile of stickers.

The results fit the stereotype of girls showing sympathy and boys competing with each other.

The reason for the observed behavioral differences is unclear. In their article, the researchers speculated that it is more about the adoption of gender roles than an innate trait.

of the Universities of Düsseldorf, Tillburg and Vienna research published in Communications Psychology.