When Experts are Wrong: The Role of Accuracy in Children’s Judgments of Experts’ Knowledge

• In Event: When Children Navigate Misinformation and Disagreement, how far Does Evidence Matter?

Abstract

Children prefer to trust people with expertise (Lutz & Keil, 2002) and people who are accurate (Pasquini et al., 2007). Because experts make mistakes and give incorrect information (e.g., predictions and diagnoses), the current studies explore children’s judgments of knowledge for experts who provide inaccurate information. Across two studies, 6- to 9-years-olds (N=160, 82 boys, 78 girls; 75% White, 91% non-Hispanic) were introduced to two experts in different domains (doctor and mechanic) and rated how much each expert knows about their relevant domain. Then, over four consecutive trials, participants heard one expert give inaccurate answers to easy questions in their domain (e.g., Q: “How many bones are in a person’s hand?” A: “People don’t have any bones in their hands”). After each trial, children explained why they believed the expert gave inaccurate answers and rated both experts’ level of knowledge. Finally, children chose which expert knew more about the two relevant domains of expertise. Study 2 included an additional measure of how children rely on accuracy and expertise when given a task that required expertise (i.e., assigning questions to be answered by the experts or themselves about bodies and cars).

In Study 1, children decreased their knowledge ratings for the inaccurate expert as they heard more inaccurate answers (see Figure 1). Also, children’s age and explanations predicted their knowledge ratings, such that older children gave lower knowledge ratings than younger children, children who described the expert as having a negative trait (e.g., not being smart) gave lower knowledge ratings, and children who endorsed the expert’s inaccurate statements gave higher knowledge ratings (see Table 1). In Study 2, children decreased their knowledge ratings for the inaccurate expert as they heard more inaccurate answers however knowledge ratings reached floor levels by time 3. When presented with a forced choice for why the expert gave the inaccurate answer (i.e., a negative trait explanation or a statement endorsement explanation) children selected the negative trait explanation on 93% of the trails. In the additional question delegation measure, children assigned relevant questions in the inaccurate expert’s domain to the inaccurate expert 77% of the time and relevant questions in the control expert’s domain to the control expert 87% of the time, and rarely assigned questions to themselves 23% of the time. When justifying why they delegated questions to the inaccurate expert, children referred to the inaccurate expert’s relevant expertise. Also, they indicated that the other expert and/or they did not have relevant knowledge.

Together, these studies demonstrate that children weigh accuracy and expertise differently depending on the task at hand. They also provide evidence for individual differences in whether children prioritize an informant’s accuracy or expertise. These findings suggest that caregivers should discuss circumstances where experts could be inaccurate and encourage children to listen and think critically about the answers people provide.

Group Authors

N/A

Authors

• Allison June Williams, Boston University
  Presenting Author

• Judith H Danovitch, University of Louisville