Children's resource distribution: When beauty bias meets fairness norms

However, little is known about how such biases affect children's resource allocation, particularly when they conflict with fairness norms. Across three studies, we examined how 6-year-olds (N = 242) allocate resources between a high- and a low-attractive, same-gender, unfamiliar peer.

The findings offer novel insights into the boundary conditions of the “beauty premium” in early childhood and how children balance fairness when navigating competing factors such as merit and appearance.