Need for Approval, Children's Sharing Behavior, and Reciprocity in Sharing

2 questions were investigated about the sharing behavior of children in the course of their interaction with other children: the relation between need for approval and sharing, and reciprocity in sharing. A significant negative relation was found between Ss' (the givers) scores on a measure of need for approval and both the amount of candy they shared and the amount they ate in the presence of another child (the receiver). Children with strong need for approval were inactive in relation to the candy in the presence of the other child, presumably inhibited by fear of disapproval. Reciprocity was shown by a positive relation between the number of candies shared and the subsequent sharing of the (use of a crayon by the receiver. Moreover, the difference between the amount of candy givers ate and the amount they shared was significantly related to the receiver's sharing of the crayon. Receivers seemed to respond to the fairness or unfairness of the givers' behavior, retaliating for obvious selfishness. Finally, children's liking for each other also influenced sharing behavior.