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When do children learn from unreliable speakers?

Robinson, Elizabeth J., Nurmsoo, Erika (2009) When do children learn from unreliable speakers? Cognitive Development, 24 (1). pp. 16-22. ISSN 0885-2014. (doi:10.1016/j.cogdev.2008.08.001) (KAR id:32063)

Abstract

Children do not necessarily disbelieve a speaker with a history of inaccuracy; they take into account reasons for errors. Three- to five-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: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2008.08.001
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Funders: Organisations -1 not found.
Depositing User: Erika Nurmsoo
Date Deposited: 02 Nov 2012 17:51 UTC
Last Modified: 09 Dec 2022 00:12 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/32063 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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