The present study investigated developmental patterns of use of distributive justice principles by children and adolescents in hypothetical situations that required distribution of rewards. The participants were 680 children and adolescents of both genders, 240 of whom were 5-6 years old, 220 9-10 years old, and 220 13-14 years old. The interview used four short stories and drawings which depicted different situations of performance. The results showed three stages characterized by the use of rules of authority, equality, and equity. As expected, young children employed rules of authority and equality, 9-10 year olds used mostly rules of equality, whereas the adolescents preferred equity. The differential usage of rules allowed for the identification of sub-stages within each stage. The sequence of developmental levels of distributive justice principles is coherent with Piaget's model.
Distributive justice; equality; equity
