The Developmental Origins of Discourse: How Children Revise Their Beliefs in Light of Verbally Communicated Reasons

• In Event: Children’s Utilization of Shared Information Across Contexts

Abstract

The ability to selectively trust information that is supported by strong reasons is a key critical thinking skill for human beings. Here we investigate how this capacity develops in young children.

To rationally respond to reasons, one needs to be able (a) to distinguish good from bad reasons, and (b) to appropriately incorporate novel reasons, even if they contradict one’s prior beliefs. Previous research has shown that even young children rather follow good than bad reasons. However, very little is known about whether and how young children revise their prior beliefs in light of new verbal reasons.

In Study 1 (N=59), in an attempt to replicate previous research, we first assessed at what age children distinguish between good and bad reasons. Three-, 4- and 5-year-olds were presented with two wooden boxes and were told that only one of the boxes contained a reward. Then, they watched a video in which one puppet gave a good reason for one box (“Take the red box, because I looked in it and saw the sticker”), whereas the other puppet gave a bad reason for the other box (“Take the blue box, because blue is my favorite color”) . Four- and 5-year-olds aligned their choice of box with strong reasons, whereas 3-year-olds were at chance (Figure 1).

In a 2x2 design, Study 2 (N = 147) varied the type of 4- and 5-year-old children’s prior beliefs (supported by strong evidence or no evidence) and the quality of the new reason children were exposed to (good or bad). Both age groups formed a belief about the reward location supported by strong evidence (one box was heavier than the other) or no evidence (the two boxes were equally heavy). Subsequently, children saw a video in which a puppet gave a good or a bad reason favoring the opposite reward location. We found two main effects. First, 4- and 5-year-olds were more likely revise their initial belief when it was not based on evidence. Second, 4- and 5-year-olds rather changed their belief when presented with good reasons for the alternative (Figure 2).

Taken together, these studies suggest that from the age of 4, children are sensitive to the quality of verbal reasons and consider both the strength of novel verbal reasons and the quality of initial evidence when revising their beliefs.

Authors

• Hanna Schleihauf, Utrecht University
  Presenting Author

• Esther Herrmann, University of Portsmouth
  Non-Presenting Author

• Julia Fischer, Deutsches Primatenzentrum
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jan Engelmann, University of California - Berkeley
  Non-Presenting Author