Children's needs-oriented decision-making: A developmental perspective

Fairness is a fundamental aspect of moral development, with need-based allocation representing a key form of equitable resource distribution, where resources are allocated to those with greater needs. Despite its importance, the motivational underpinnings of children's need-based allocation remain inadequately understood. In this review, we propose an explanatory model to elucidate the motivation behind children's need-based allocation. We suggest that this motivation evolves through three developmental stages: the balancing tendency stage (ages 4–5), the balancing-altruistic dual-motivation stage (ages 6–7), and the altruistic tendency stage (ages 8 and above). Finally, we discuss future research directions to further explore and understand the developmental trajectory of children's fairness-related decision-making.