Explaining individual differences in advantageous inequity aversion by social-affective trait dimensions and family environment
Humans are averse to both having less (i.e., disadvantageous inequity aversion) and having more than others (i.e., advantageous inequity aversion). However, the social-affective traits that drive individual differences in inequity aversion (IA) are not well understood. Here, by combining a modified Dictator Game and a computational model, we found in a sample of incarcerated adolescents (N = 67) that callous-unemotional traits were specifically associated with low advantageous but not disadvantageous IA. We replicated and extended the finding in a large- scale university student sample (N = 2,250) by adopting a dimensional approach to social- affective trait measures. We showed that advantageous IA was strongly and negatively associated with a trait dimension characterized by callousness and lack of social emotions (e.g., guilt and compassion). A supportive family environment negatively correlated with this trait dimension and positively with advantageous IA. These results identify a core set of social- affective dimensions specifically associated with advantageous IA.