Preschoolers monitor the relative accuracy of informants.
Abstract
In 2 studies, the sensitivity of 3- and 4-year-olds to the previous accuracy of informants was assessed. Children viewed films in which 2 informants labeled familiar objects with differential accuracy (across the 2 experiments, children were exposed to the following rates of accuracy by the more and less accurate informants, respectively: 100% vs. 0%, 100% vs. 25%, 75% vs. 0%, and 75% vs. 25%). Next, children watched films in which the same 2 informants provided conflicting novel labels for unfamiliar objects. Children were asked to indicate which of the 2 labels was associated with each object. Three-year-olds trusted the more accurate informant only in conditions in which 1 of the 2 informants had been 100% accurate, whereas 4-year-olds trusted the more accurate informant in all conditions tested. These results suggest that 3-year-olds mistrust informants who make a single error, whereas 4-year-olds track the relative frequency of errors when deciding whom to trust.
Cite this
Elisabeth S. Pasquini, Kathleen H. Corriveau, Melissa A. Koenig, Paul L. Harris (2007). Preschoolers monitor the relative accuracy of informants.. Developmental Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.43.5.1216
@article{s2007preschoolers,
title = {Preschoolers monitor the relative accuracy of informants.},
author = {Pasquini, Elisabeth S. and Corriveau, Kathleen H. and Koenig, Melissa A. and Harris, Paul L.},
year = {2007},
journal = {Developmental Psychology},
doi = {10.1037/0012-1649.43.5.1216}
}Citations in this library
Stored only when both papers are in the corpus — 472 citations exist upstream.