Older people are less likely to think in zero-sum terms ^{CEFR B2}

The study explores age differences in zero-sum beliefs — the idea that one person’s gain requires another’s loss — and shows that older adults are less likely to hold this view. The research team included psychologists at the University of Chicago and sociologist Tamar Kricheli-Katz of Tel Aviv University; lead author Veronica Vazquez-Olivieri and coauthor Boaz Keysar report consistent age-related differences in how people see competition and cooperation.

Researchers first observed the pattern in the World Values Survey and then ran four experiments with nearly 2,500 participants. The participants were split into two age ranges, 18–30 and 65–80, and responded to general statements such as “If somebody gets rich, someone has to get poor,” as well as to specific scenarios about workplaces and rewards.

Findings show older adults were less likely to interpret situations as zero-sum, while younger people more often saw win-lose outcomes. The study highlights dangers when non-competitive situations are treated as competitive; for example, immigrants are sometimes portrayed as taking jobs, though evidence shows they often add jobs and expand the economy. Comparing different waves of the World Values Survey, Kricheli-Katz found the pattern across generations, and noted that young people today are more zero-sum than earlier cohorts, a trend the team cannot fully explain.

The authors suggest that exposing this bias and giving people experience with negotiation and cooperation can improve decisions. They report that a negotiation course at UChicago shifted student views toward cooperation and better outcomes, and conclude that time and experience tend to reduce zero-sum thinking and that older perspectives may help younger people see win-win possibilities.