Testing Children’s Sense of Fairness
Case for discussion about involving children in research, based on the well-known dictator game.
A group of researchers wants to conduct an experiment to study students’ sense of fairness. To do this, they plan to carry out a concrete experiment. Two classes will participate, one in 5th grade and one in 10th grade. The teachers and principal have given their consent, and the experiment will take place during the social studies class.
In the school gym, the researcher has set up a kind of laboratory. Here, the students are placed in individual booths so that they cannot communicate with or see each other.
Students are paired up without knowing who is on their team. One student in each pair is given 500 NOK and can decide how the money will be distributed. The student can choose to keep all of it or give any amount to the other student. The students are told that they will receive the money after the experiment and can use it however they like.
In previous experiments conducted with university students, there has been a clear tendency for most participants to actually split the money 50/50.
Since this involves children, the researchers plan to give a “consolation prize” to any child who receives less than 250 NOK after the money is distributed. They will receive a board game in addition.
One parent believes the experiment is unethical and raises the issue with the principal.
Questions for discussion
- Is it acceptable to test children in this way at all? What considerations weigh for and against?
- How important is the size of the amount of money?
- How should participants be informed in advance?
- Can the researchers obtain ethically valid consent? Who should give consent—parents and/or children?
- What are the differences in how to ensure freely informed consent for 5th graders versus 10th graders?
- Is it likely that some children will find participation distressing? What if one child takes all the money?
- How can the researchers avoid peer pressure to participate?
This constructed example is based on the so-called dictator game from experimental economics.
Read more
Updated by The National Committees for Research Ethics, 2025.