Explaining Individual Differences in Advantageous Inequity Aversion by Social-Affective Trait Dimensions and Family Environment. Issue 2 (March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yu, Hongbo; Lu, Chunlei; Gao, Xiaoxue; Shen, Bo; Liu, Kui; Li, Weijian; Xiao, Yuqin; Yang, Bo; Zhao, Xudong; Crockett, Molly. J.; Zhou, Xiaolin
• Is Part Of: Social psychological & personality science. Volume 13:Issue 2(2022)
• Page Start: 626
• Page End: 637
• Publication Date: 2022-03
• Subjects: dictator game -- computational model -- advantageous inequity aversion -- dimensional approach -- family atmosphere; Personality -- Periodicals; Social psychology -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 155.2
• DOI: 10.1177/19485506211027794
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1948-5506

Abstract

Humans are averse to both having less (i.e., disadvantageous inequity aversion [IA]) and having more than others (i.e., advantageous IA). However, the social-affective traits that drive individual differences in IA are not well understood. Here, by combining a modified dictator game and a computational model, we found in a sample of incarcerated adolescents ( N = 67) that callous-unemotional traits were specifically associated with low advantageous but not disadvantageous IA. We replicated and extended the finding in a large-scale university student sample ( N = 2, 250) by adopting a dimensional approach to social-affective trait measures. We showed that advantageous IA was strongly and negatively associated with a trait dimension characterized by callousness and lack of social emotions (e.g., guilt and compassion). A supportive family environment negatively correlated with this trait dimension and positively with advantageous IA. These results identify a core set of social-affective dimensions specifically associated with advantageous IA.