TL;DR A [new study](https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2025-19881-003?doi=1) led by a UC Berkeley psychologist suggests that biases for those with more resources can be traced to beliefs formed as young as 14 months. However, researchers say a preference for richer people may not necessarily be driven by kids’ positive evaluations of them. Instead, it might be caused by a negative assessment of those with less.
Through a series of seven experiments, the team measured how toddlers demonstrated preferences for people with differing amounts of particular kinds of resources they desired — toys and snacks. Besides a bias toward the more “wealthy” person who had more resources, the children showed dislike and avoidance for those whom researchers labeled in the experiments as the “poorer” individuals.
Eason and her co-authors say their work shows that undoing wealth inequality will require a concentrated effort among adults to change the way young children think about and act toward poorer people. Her research points to systemic ways we should begin thinking about inequality, and the origin of that wealth-based bias “starting point.” That’s the only way to combat the biases among many adults that benefit the wealthy and perpetuate policies against the poor.
Spacellama117 on
I feel like this neglects the very real anger felt by anyone currently living anywhere that has to watch as wealthier people are fine when they struggle
AdCertain5491 on
I’m eager to read the paper. Based on the article it sounds like toddlers have a preference for people with more resources, but this doesn’t necessarily equate to attitudes as a whole about those people.
3 Comments
TL;DR A [new study](https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2025-19881-003?doi=1) led by a UC Berkeley psychologist suggests that biases for those with more resources can be traced to beliefs formed as young as 14 months. However, researchers say a preference for richer people may not necessarily be driven by kids’ positive evaluations of them. Instead, it might be caused by a negative assessment of those with less.
Through a series of seven experiments, the team measured how toddlers demonstrated preferences for people with differing amounts of particular kinds of resources they desired — toys and snacks. Besides a bias toward the more “wealthy” person who had more resources, the children showed dislike and avoidance for those whom researchers labeled in the experiments as the “poorer” individuals.
Eason and her co-authors say their work shows that undoing wealth inequality will require a concentrated effort among adults to change the way young children think about and act toward poorer people. Her research points to systemic ways we should begin thinking about inequality, and the origin of that wealth-based bias “starting point.” That’s the only way to combat the biases among many adults that benefit the wealthy and perpetuate policies against the poor.
I feel like this neglects the very real anger felt by anyone currently living anywhere that has to watch as wealthier people are fine when they struggle
I’m eager to read the paper. Based on the article it sounds like toddlers have a preference for people with more resources, but this doesn’t necessarily equate to attitudes as a whole about those people.