The characteristics of fair distribution behavior in autistic children: A perspective from different groups and contribution contexts

The allocation behavior of autistic children is a significant manifestation of their prosocial abilities. The study investigates the fair distribution behavior of children with mild to moderate autism in grades three to nine from special education schools in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, using the dictator game paradigm. Experiment one, involving 29 children (19 boys and 10 girls), found that the fairness awareness of autistic children increases with grade. No significant gender difference was found in fair distribution behavior. A counterintuitive pattern was observed among younger autistic children, who allocated more resources to strangers than expected. Experiment 2 included 44 participants (31 boys, 13 girls). While older autistic children did not show statistically significant differences in distribution across contribution scenarios, younger children demonstrated significantly fairer allocation in situations where they contributed more. Overall, the study suggests that educational interventions for autistic children should consider age-specific characteristics and situational complexity, focusing on internalizing fairness rules and enhancing social interaction skills. • Autistic children's fair distribution improves with increasing grade level. • Younger autistic children sometimes allocate more resources to strangers. • Contribution context significantly influences fairness in younger autistic children. • Fairness in autistic children varies between in-group and out-group allocations.