Inhibitory Control and Theory of Mind in Children's Inequity Aversion.
Description
Hypothesis We hypothesized that both theory of mind (ToM) and inhibitory control (IC) would predict children’s inequity aversion, but with different roles across disadvantageous and advantageous contexts. Data Data were collected from 230 Argentine children (5–12 years) through: Inequity Game (accept/reject candy offers). ToM tasks: Sally-Anne and Faux Pas tests. IC tasks: Go/No-Go (motor) and Stroop tests (attentional). Control variables: age, sex, SES, IQ, trial/order. Findings ToM did not predict inequity aversion. Motor IC predicted rejection of disadvantageous offers only after equitable ones. Attentional IC consistently predicted rejection of disadvantageous offers. No IC effects were found for advantageous inequity. SES and sex influenced rejection patterns. Interpretation The dataset shows that inhibitory control, particularly attentional, is a stronger predictor of fairness-related decisions than theory of mind. These data allow researchers to explore developmental, cognitive, and cultural aspects of inequity aversion in children.