Researchers at Frontiers in Developmental Psychology asked a specific question: do babies have one fixed idea of fairness, or does it change depending on the situation? They studied 103 babies around 11 months old using eye-tracking technology while the babies watched videos of sharing scenarios on a playground swing.
In each video, one child was using the swing and another came along asking for a turn. Sometimes the first child shared; sometimes they didn't. The researchers then tracked which character the babies looked at longer—a reliable sign of what babies found more appealing or "good."
Babies shift their fairness judgments based on whose perspective they consider
The standout finding was striking: babies' reactions to the same sharing action changed completely depending on whose viewpoint they were asked to adopt. When researchers prompted babies to think about what the newcomer (the child wanting a turn) would want, babies looked longer at the child who shared—fairness means sharing from that angle. But when babies were asked to consider what the original child (who had to give up their turn) would want, they showed no preference for the sharer. When babies watched as neutral observers, they also showed no preference.
This reveals that by 11 months, babies aren't applying one rigid moral rule. Instead, they're already developing the ability to see situations through different people's eyes, even if they can't do it consistently or on demand yet.
Context and perspective matter more than simple rules alone
For Singapore families, this has real-world meaning. Many parents naturally teach sharing and turn-taking through clear rules: "You must share," "It's not fair to refuse." But this research suggests fairness is more layered. When your pre-nursery child resists sharing or struggles with turns, they may not be being stubborn—they might be genuinely viewing the situation from their own perspective first, which is developmentally normal and even a sign of emerging thinking skills.
The research shows that children naturally develop the ability to see multiple sides of a situation. This skill becomes especially valuable in multicultural Singapore, where your child will encounter different values and ways of thinking about fairness across cultures and families.
Support perspective-taking as a gradual skill
- Name different perspectives when fairness comes up: "The other child wanted a turn, and you wanted to keep playing—both feelings make sense."
- Avoid expecting one-size-fits-all fairness judgments; recognise your child is learning to see situations from multiple angles.
- Model noticing how different people experience the same situation differently in everyday moments.