Study tests the hypothesis that younger children's self-reinforcing tendencies would be governed by prior social comparison concerning the relative amounts of rewards each received by himself and a peer, while older children will take into account whether any observed discrepancy in rewards received is merited or arbitrary. (Author/CB)

Five studies are reported which examine the free vs. earned reward phenomenon in humans. The 420 subjects were distributed over all grade levels from preschool through college. Candies and coins were used as rewards. In preschool through sixth grade groups, black, as well as white subjects and experimenters were used. The California Psychological…

Confirmed the hypothesis that happiness leads to self-indulgence when children have no reason to believe that excessive self-gratification is morally wrong but that happiness promotes self-denial when children fear that excessive self-gratification violates a moral rule. Results with 112 White, middle-class, Australian children ages four to five…