Fairness concerns often prompt people to share equally, but the function of such equal sharing is somewhat unclear. Some researchers have proposed that fairness functions to promote generosity and reciprocity. I will review some recent data that contradict this view: Fairness can cause people to waste resources rather than be generous and can interfere with reciprocity. On the basis of these findings, I suggest an alternative view: Fairness functions to signal the fair individual’s impartiality to others. I discuss the predictions of this account and how these predictions might be tested in future research.
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