"Exploring Age and Cultural Influences on Sharing Behaviour in Children: A Comparative Study in Kenya and the Netherlands"

Abstract

Prosocial behaviours develop at a young age and are key in building trust within communities and fostering a sense of belonging and interconnectedness among individuals. This study focused on developmental and cultural variations in prosocial sharing behaviour among children aged 5 to 10 years in Kenya and the Netherlands. By comparing these two cultural contexts, the study aims to shed light on how age and cultural background influence children’s prosocial tendencies. This comparison can provide valuable insights into the diversity of human behaviour, and greater understanding could contribute to more effective interventions and policies. 24 Dutch and 101 Kenyan elementary school children participated in this study. Using a quasi-experimental design, children’s sharing behaviours were assessed through controlled scenarios involving sharing tasks. Generalized Linear Mixed Models were used to analyse the data. The results indicate that age has a significant positive effect on selfless sharing, suggesting that prosocial sharing behaviour increases in children aged 7.5-10 compared to children aged 5-7.5. This highlights developmental trends across different cultural settings. However, no effect is found for culture. This suggests that Kenyan children are not more prosocial in their sharing behaviour than Dutch children, despite their cultural differences considering collectivism versus individualism. However, the relation between age and culture seemed to influence sharing behaviour and age-related changes in this sample, and sharing seem more pronounced for children in the Netherlands than in Kenya. However, this interaction was non-significant, thus not generalizable. The study discusses explanations for these findings and offers recommendations for further research.