The Development of Punishment

Lead Research Organisation: Plymouth University
Department Name: Sch of Psychology

Abstract

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Description 1. How does punishment develop across childhood and adolescence?
Previous research has shown that second-party punishment increases over the course of childhood and adolescence. We found that the amount of second-party punishment depends both on development as well which other distribution option an offer was paired with. Nine-year-old children and 12-year-old adolescents playing the mini-ultimatum game as a responder were significantly less likely to punish the default offer (8 points for the proposer, 2 points for the responder) than 15-year-olds and adults. Nine-year-olds were more likely to reject extremely selfish offers (10 to the proposer, 0 to the responder) than adolescents and adults.
Concerning third-party punishment, we found that nine-year-olds were less likely than adolescents and adults to punish the default offer when it was paired with an equal offer (5 points for the proposer, 5 points for the responder) or an offer that was advantageous to the responder (2/8 offer). Thus, 9-year-olds were more likely than older participants to accept unequal offers even when they are paired with a more generous alternative offer.

2. Is punishment motivated by concerns for fairness or the interpretation of others' intentions?
Juxtaposing the default distribution option (an 8/2 offer) with four alternatives (2/8, 5/5 8/2, 10/0) allowed to discriminate whether second and third-party punishment is intentions- or outcome-driven. Punishers are thought to be motivated by the other players' intentions, if rejections of identical offers vary with the foregone alternatives. By contrast, punishers are thought to be motivated by outcome-based concerns (i.e., fairness concerns), if they reject any distribution that allocates them less than half of the sum.
For second-party punishment we found that 12- and 15-year-old adolescents and adults integrate information about the others' intentions and outcome concerns. That is, adolescents and adults punished the default offer differently, depending on the alternative offer. At the same time, adults and adolescents care about the fairness of the offer, because they reject unequal offers more than equal offers and offers that benefit them. In contrast, 9-year-old children base their second-party punishment on the outcome of the offer alone, and do not seem to integrate information about the others' intentions.
For third-party punishment, we found that only adults' punishment is driven by concerns about intentions and outcomes. Children and adolescents base their third-party punishment on the outcome or unfairness of the offer.

3. How and why does children's and adolescents' third-party-punishment differ from their second-party punishment?
We found that the same (unfair) distribution is punished more often in the context of second-party than third-party punishment. That is, when a punisher is directly affected by a norm violation s/he tends to punish this violation more than when the violation affects an unknown stranger. This is true for all age groups studied,

4. How does perspective-taking and empathy affect second- and third-party punishment?
Contrary to our hypotheses, we did not find that perspective-taking and empathy affect children's, adolescents' and adults' punishment, even though the questionnaire used to measure perspective-taking and empathy showed good psychometric properties.
Exploitation Route Interventions at schools, changing policy
Sectors Education
 
Description At the moment this project had mainly scientific impacts, that is impact for other researchers.
 
Description ESRC Festival of Social Sciences 2017
Amount £1,000 (GBP)
Organisation University of Plymouth 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 11/2017 
End 11/2017
 
Description ESRC Festival of Social Science, School of Psychology, Plymouth University 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact 70 primary school students and their teachers attended a research day as part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science. Pupils engaged with research in Psychology and discussed their new understanding. Attendees reported high satisfaction with the research day,
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description Prosoziales Verhalten in oekonomischen Spielen 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Participants in your research or patient groups
Results and Impact Invited presentation at University of Klagenfurt, Austria

Section not completed
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2011
 
Description Public engagement - Plymouth Humanists 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact about 40 members of the public attended a presentation given to the Plymouth Humanists. The presentation was very interactive and sparked a lively discussion.

Information sharing, requests for further involvement
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
 
Description The development of prosocial behaviour from a psychological and economic perspective 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Participants in your research or patient groups
Results and Impact Invited presentation at Durham University

Section not completed
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2011
 
Description Widening participation event, University of Warwick 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Twenty secondary school pupils from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds participated in a widening participation activity on the importance and development of fairness.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020