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What children know about the source of their knowledge without reporting it as the source

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Haigh, S. N. and Robinson, Elizabeth J.. (2007) What children know about the source of their knowledge without reporting it as the source. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, Vol.6 (No.3). pp. 318-336. ISSN 1740-5629

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17405620601183569

Abstract

We argue that, amongst 3- to 5- year-olds, failure to report the source of knowledge recently acquired in answer to “How do you know…?” is due to a specific failure to make a causal inference, in line with source monitoring theory but not fuzzy trace theory. In three Experiments, children (N = 37; 30; 59) identified a hidden toy by seeing, feeling, or by being told, having had two modes of access on each trial, one informative (e.g. seeing a toy identified by colour) and the other uninformative (e.g. being told the toy’s colour by the Experimenter who had only felt it). Children who answered the know question wrongly nevertheless reported accurately who saw and who felt the toy, and what the well-informed player had said. They also realised when the Experimenter’s uninformative access implied their own knowledge was unreliable, suggesting precocious working understanding of knowledge sources.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions:	Faculty of Science > Psychology
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Child psychology, Knowledge, Inference
Journal or Publication Title:	European Journal of Developmental Psychology
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
ISSN:	1740-5629
Date:	24 July 2007
Volume:	Vol.6
Number:	No.3
Number of Pages:	19
Page Range:	pp. 318-336
Identification Number:	10.1080/17405620601183569
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Open Access
Funder:	Economic and Social Research Council (Great Britain) (ESRC)
Grant number:	RES000220825
Related URLs:	http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content...
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URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/50