What the study found
The study found that children’s resource taking changed with relative status, which means whether they were in a winning or losing position compared with another child. When status was low, children took more than half the tokens; when status was high, they did not differ from an equal split. Gender differences appeared only when status was equal.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that the findings indicate early sensitivity to social status and help specify when gender differences in taking emerge. The study suggests that taking is calibrated to socially instantiated relative status rather than performance alone.
What the researchers tested
The researchers ran two preregistered studies with 4- to 8-year-old children. In Study 1, children competed in a ‘Where’s Waldo?’ task against a pre-recorded peer and were randomly assigned to win or lose, then chose how many tokens to take from either a prior winner or loser. In Study 2, children played against the clock without a peer competitor and were randomly assigned to succeed or fail before taking tokens from peers.
What worked and what didn't
In Study 1, low-status children taking from high-status peers took more than half the tokens, while high-status children taking from low-status peers did not differ from an equal split. Under equal status, boys took more than half, whereas girls did not differ from an equal split. In Study 2, children in the non-social context took more than half of their peers’ tokens.
What to keep in mind
The summary does not describe additional limitations beyond the study designs themselves. The findings are based on two preregistered studies with children ages 4 to 8, so the abstract does not support claims beyond that age range or beyond the tasks used here.
Key points
- Children with low relative status took more than half the tokens from another child.
- Children with high relative status did not differ from an equal split.
- Under equal status, boys took more than half while girls did not.
- In a non-social context, children took more than half of peers’ tokens.
- The authors say taking is calibrated to social relative status, not performance alone.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Children’s taking depends on relative status and gender
- Authors:
- Chana Berelejis, Oded Ritov, Jan Engelmann, Avi Benozio
- Institutions:
- Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Berkeley
- Publication date:
- 2026-02-27
- OpenAlex record:
- View
- Image credit:
- Nwaeke Daniel (Danzisky), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Get the weekly research newsletter
Stay current with scholarly research without reading academic papers — one filtered digest, every Friday.