Toddlers’ Giving as Innate Reward

A recent experiment (Tan et al., 2026) shows toddlers report greater happiness when they spontaneously give their own treats versus receiving or merely observing giving. The pattern suggests an early‑emerging emotional reward for altruistic acts, implying prosocial motivation may be partly intrinsic rather than entirely learned. — If giving carries inherent emotional rewards from a very young age, debates about moral education, socialization, and policy interventions for prosocial behavior should reckon with strong innate components.