At what age can children negotiate?

This study explores the development of negotiation ability in children. Our aim was to observe the age when children demonstrate a preference for mutually beneficial exchanges. Three- to five-year-old children built a tower alongside a puppet confederate. Neither the child or the puppet had all of the pieces to complete it, but possessed a piece that the other required. Children were prompted to exchange blocks that represented an efficient trade, inefficient trade, generous gift, or selfish claim. Across all age groups, most children opted for an efficient trade, but there were no significant difference for efficiency across age. We also observed spontaneous attempts to exchange an undesired reward for a desired reward. Older children were more likely to initiate efficient trading than younger children. The capacity to spontaneously act on a negotiation situation begins between four and five. However, 3-year-olds may employ efficient trading when prompted with the option.