Prosocial decision-making, characterized by behaviors aimed at benefit- ing others, is a critical component of social development in childhood. This study explores the interplay between Mentalization (i.e, Theory of Mind and empathy), and personality traits in influencing fairness and al- truism in school-aged children. Using decision-making tasks such as the Ultimatum Game (UG) and Dictator Game (DG), alongside assessments of cognitive abilities and personality dimensions, the study examines how mentalization and socio-emotional factors shape children’s decisions. Results indicate significant relationships between empathy, ToM, and prosocial outcomes, offering insights into the mechanisms underpinning fairness and altruism during childhood development.
Valle, A., Lombardi, E., Di Dio, C., Castelli, I., Massaro, D., Marchetti, A., Decoding Childhood Decision-Making: the Role of Mentalization, Personality Traits, and Empathy in School-Age Children, in Proceedings of the Third International Conference of the journal Scuola Democratica. Education and/for Social Justice. Vol. 1: Inequality, Inclusion, and Governance, (Cagliari (Italia), 03-06 June 2024), Associazione Per Scuola Democratica, ROMA -- ITA 2025: 1111-1118 [https://hdl.handle.net/10807/317839]
Decoding Childhood Decision-Making: the Role of Mentalization, Personality Traits, and Empathy in School-Age Children
Valle, Annalisa
Primo
;Lombardi, Elisabetta;Di Dio, Cinzia;Massaro, Davide;Marchetti, Antonella
2025
Abstract
Prosocial decision-making, characterized by behaviors aimed at benefit- ing others, is a critical component of social development in childhood. This study explores the interplay between Mentalization (i.e, Theory of Mind and empathy), and personality traits in influencing fairness and al- truism in school-aged children. Using decision-making tasks such as the Ultimatum Game (UG) and Dictator Game (DG), alongside assessments of cognitive abilities and personality dimensions, the study examines how mentalization and socio-emotional factors shape children’s decisions. Results indicate significant relationships between empathy, ToM, and prosocial outcomes, offering insights into the mechanisms underpinning fairness and altruism during childhood development.
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