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Children and Young Adults Factor Merit into Their Judgments of Gender-Based Science Resource Inequalities

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Title: Children and Young Adults Factor Merit into Their Judgments of Gender-Based Science Resource Inequalities
Language: English
Authors: Marley B. Forbes (ORCID 0009-0003-4694-4955), Riley N. Sims, Melanie Killen
Source: Developmental Science. 2026 29(1).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 12
Publication Date: 2026
Sponsoring Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF), Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (BCS)
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (DHHS/NIH)
Contract Number: 1728918
R01HD093698
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Social Psychology, Young Children, Young Adults, Evaluative Thinking, Moral Values, Science Education, Educational Resources, Resource Allocation, Disadvantaged, Gender Differences, Age Differences, Abstract Reasoning
DOI: 10.1111/desc.70096
ISSN: 1363-755X
1467-7687
Abstract: Inequalities in access to important resources and opportunities between social groups persist throughout societies worldwide. Social psychological research has shown that adults often use meritocratic beliefs to justify the existence of such inequalities. Yet, the developmental origins of meritocratic beliefs have yet to be fully explored. This study investigated how children and young adults (N = 144; 5- to 6-year-olds, M = 5.83, SD = 0.97; 9- to 11-year-olds, M = 10.74, SD = 0.68; 18- to 22-year-olds, M = 19.92, SD = 1.10) factored information about merit into their moral judgments and reasoning about science education resource inequalities between groups of girls and boys. Confirming our hypotheses, participants overall judged inequalities that disadvantaged high-merit groups more negatively than inequalities that disadvantaged low-merit groups, regardless of which gender group was disadvantaged. Further, exploratory analyses revealed age-related differences in judgments of inequalities that disadvantaged girls, but not boys. Whereas all age groups judged inequalities that disadvantaged boys more negatively when boys were described as high-merit compared to low-merit, only older children judged inequalities that disadvantaged girls more negatively when girls were described as high-merit compared to low-merit. Age-related differences also emerged for participants' reasoning about inequalities, such that older children were more likely to reason about merit, and less likely to reason about equality, compared to both younger children and young adults. These novel findings offer insights into how concerns for merit shape individuals' moral judgments of social inequalities throughout childhood and young adulthood.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1492037
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Children and Young Adults Factor Merit into Their Judgments of Gender-Based Science Resource Inequalities
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Marley+B%2E+Forbes%22">Marley B. Forbes</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0003-4694-4955">0009-0003-4694-4955</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Riley+N%2E+Sims%22">Riley N. Sims</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Melanie+Killen%22">Melanie Killen</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Developmental+Science%22"><i>Developmental Science</i></searchLink>. 2026 29(1).
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 12
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: National Science Foundation (NSF), Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (BCS)<br />Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (DHHS/NIH)
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  Data: Inequalities in access to important resources and opportunities between social groups persist throughout societies worldwide. Social psychological research has shown that adults often use meritocratic beliefs to justify the existence of such inequalities. Yet, the developmental origins of meritocratic beliefs have yet to be fully explored. This study investigated how children and young adults (N = 144; 5- to 6-year-olds, M = 5.83, SD = 0.97; 9- to 11-year-olds, M = 10.74, SD = 0.68; 18- to 22-year-olds, M = 19.92, SD = 1.10) factored information about merit into their moral judgments and reasoning about science education resource inequalities between groups of girls and boys. Confirming our hypotheses, participants overall judged inequalities that disadvantaged high-merit groups more negatively than inequalities that disadvantaged low-merit groups, regardless of which gender group was disadvantaged. Further, exploratory analyses revealed age-related differences in judgments of inequalities that disadvantaged girls, but not boys. Whereas all age groups judged inequalities that disadvantaged boys more negatively when boys were described as high-merit compared to low-merit, only older children judged inequalities that disadvantaged girls more negatively when girls were described as high-merit compared to low-merit. Age-related differences also emerged for participants' reasoning about inequalities, such that older children were more likely to reason about merit, and less likely to reason about equality, compared to both younger children and young adults. These novel findings offer insights into how concerns for merit shape individuals' moral judgments of social inequalities throughout childhood and young adulthood.
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  Data: 2026
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      – SubjectFull: Young Children
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