Give as I give: Adult influence on children’s giving in two cultures

• Adult influence on children’s giving was tested in rural India and the US.
• Parents demonstrated a generous or a selfish donation in an experiment.
• Children observed and then donated in private.
• Children gave less after the selfish model in both societies.
• Children gave more after the generous model only in India.

Adult influence on children’s altruistic behavior may differ between cultural communities. We used an experimental approach to assess the influence of adult models on children’s altruistic giving in a city in the United States and rural villages in India. Children between 3 and 8 years of age were tested with their parents in the United States (n = 163) and India (n = 154). Parents modeled either a generous or stingy donation; children then performed a similar task in private. Children in both communities were influenced by the stingy model, but only children in India increased their giving after viewing a generous model. The model’s influence also increased with age in India. Results of a questionnaire revealed that parents in both communities believed that children learned sharing behavior from them. We consider these results in light of differences between these societies, including different socialization goals, cultural values, and content biases that may affect altruistic giving.