Sharing and Belonging: Children’s Social Status and Their Sharing Behavior With In-Group and Out-Group Members

The association between children’s social-status within their peer-group and their prosociality was examined among fourth and sixth graders (N = 276), using sociometric nominations, and actual sharingwith a fellow in-group member, or a member of an out-group. Results show an overall increase in sharingwith age, and an overall correlation between children’s social status among peers and their sharingbehavior—however, across both age groups, this association was significant only in the in-group condition,not when the recipient child was an out-group member. Specifically, less accepted childrenbehaved in a less prosocial manner only toward in-group members, not toward out-group ones. Thissuggests that situational factors and characteristics of the prospective recipient play an important part inthe degree to which less socially accepted children are willing to act prosocially