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When do children learn from unreliable speakers?

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Robinson, Elizabeth J. and Nurmsoo, Erika. (2009) When do children learn from unreliable speakers? Cognitive Development, Vol.24 (No.1). pp. 16-22. ISSN 0885-2014

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2008.08.001

Abstract

Children do not necessarily disbelieve a speaker with a history of inaccuracy; they take into account reasons for errors. Three- to 5 year-olds (N = 97) aimed to identify a hidden target in collaboration with a puppet. The puppet’s history of inaccuracy arose either from false beliefs, or occurred despite his being fully informed. On a subsequent test trial, children’s realistic expectation about the target was contradicted by the puppet who was fully informed. Children were more likely to revise their belief in line with the puppet’s assertion when his previous errors were due to false beliefs. Children who explained this puppet’s prior inaccuracy in terms of false belief were more likely to believe the puppet than those who did not. As children’s understanding of the mind advances, they increasingly balance the risk of learning falsehoods from unreliable speakers against that of rejecting truths from speakers who made excusable errors.

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, Theory of, Uncertainty
Journal or Publication Title:	Cognitive Development
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	0885-2014
Date:	January 2009
Volume:	Vol.24
Number:	No.1
Page Range:	pp. 16-22
Identification Number:	10.1016/j.cogdev.2008.08.001
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Open Access
Description:	Version accepted by publisher (post-print, after peer review, before copy-editing)
Funder:	Economic and Social Research Council (Great Britain) (ESRC)
Grant number:	RES-000-22-1847
Related URLs:	Publisher
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URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/91