TY - JOUR
T1 - Preschoolers Monitor the Relative Accuracy of Informants
AU - Pasquini, Elisabeth S.
AU - Corriveau, Kathleen H.
AU - Koenig, Melissa
AU - Harris, Paul L.
PY - 2007/9
Y1 - 2007/9
N2 - In 2 studies, the sensitivity of 3- and 4-year-olds to the previous accuracy of informants was assessed. Children viewed films in which 2 informants labeled familiar objects with differential accuracy (across the 2 experiments, children were exposed to the following rates of accuracy by the more and less accurate informants, respectively: 100% vs. 0%, 100% vs. 25%, 75% vs. 0%, and 75% vs. 25%). Next, children watched films in which the same 2 informants provided conflicting novel labels for unfamiliar objects. Children were asked to indicate which of the 2 labels was associated with each object. Three-year-olds trusted the more accurate informant only in conditions in which 1 of the 2 informants had been 100% accurate, whereas 4-year-olds trusted the more accurate informant in all conditions tested. These results suggest that 3-year-olds mistrust informants who make a single error, whereas 4-year-olds track the relative frequency of errors when deciding whom to trust.
AB - In 2 studies, the sensitivity of 3- and 4-year-olds to the previous accuracy of informants was assessed. Children viewed films in which 2 informants labeled familiar objects with differential accuracy (across the 2 experiments, children were exposed to the following rates of accuracy by the more and less accurate informants, respectively: 100% vs. 0%, 100% vs. 25%, 75% vs. 0%, and 75% vs. 25%). Next, children watched films in which the same 2 informants provided conflicting novel labels for unfamiliar objects. Children were asked to indicate which of the 2 labels was associated with each object. Three-year-olds trusted the more accurate informant only in conditions in which 1 of the 2 informants had been 100% accurate, whereas 4-year-olds trusted the more accurate informant in all conditions tested. These results suggest that 3-year-olds mistrust informants who make a single error, whereas 4-year-olds track the relative frequency of errors when deciding whom to trust.
KW - accuracy
KW - informants
KW - preschoolers
KW - testimony
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34548850317&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=34548850317&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1037/0012-1649.43.5.1216
DO - 10.1037/0012-1649.43.5.1216
M3 - Article
C2 - 17723046
AN - SCOPUS:34548850317
SN - 0012-1649
VL - 43
SP - 1216
EP - 1226
JO - Developmental psychology
JF - Developmental psychology
IS - 5
ER -