Young children heed advice selectively

Hannes Rakoczy; Christoph Ehrling; Paul L. Harris; Thomas Schultze

doi:10.1016/j.jecp.2015.04.007

Young children heed advice selectively

Hannes Rakoczy^*
, Christoph Ehrling
, Paul L. Harris
, Thomas Schultze

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

25 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A rational strategy to update and revise one's uncertain beliefs is to take advice by other agents who are better informed. Adults routinely engage in such advice taking in systematic and selective ways depending on relevant characteristics such as reliability of advisors. The current study merged research in social and developmental psychology to examine whether children also adjust their initial judgment to varying degrees depending on the characteristics of their advisors. Participants aged 3 to 6. years played a game in which they made initial judgments, received advice, and subsequently made final judgments. They systematically revised their judgments in light of the advice, and they did so selectively as a function of advisor expertise. They made greater adjustments to their initial judgment when advised by an apparently knowledgeable informant. This suggests that the pattern of advice taking studied in social psychology has its roots in early development.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	71-87
Number of pages	17
Journal	Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
Volume	138
Early online date	30 May 2015
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2015.04.007
Publication status	Published - 01 Oct 2015
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported by the German Initiative of Excellence. Thanks go to Ailbhe Costelloe, Konstanze Schirmer, Marlen Kaufmann, and Andreas Hollenbach for their help with testing and coding. We thank Andreas Glöckner, Daniel Haun, Mike Tomasello, and Michael Waldmann for their valuable comments on a previous draft.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier Inc.

Keywords

Advice taking
Belief revision
Child development
Judgment and decision making
Selective trust
Social influence

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Developmental and Educational Psychology

Access to Document

10.1016/j.jecp.2015.04.007Licence: Unspecified

Cite this

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title = "Young children heed advice selectively",

abstract = "A rational strategy to update and revise one's uncertain beliefs is to take advice by other agents who are better informed. Adults routinely engage in such advice taking in systematic and selective ways depending on relevant characteristics such as reliability of advisors. The current study merged research in social and developmental psychology to examine whether children also adjust their initial judgment to varying degrees depending on the characteristics of their advisors. Participants aged 3 to 6. years played a game in which they made initial judgments, received advice, and subsequently made final judgments. They systematically revised their judgments in light of the advice, and they did so selectively as a function of advisor expertise. They made greater adjustments to their initial judgment when advised by an apparently knowledgeable informant. This suggests that the pattern of advice taking studied in social psychology has its roots in early development.",

keywords = "Advice taking, Belief revision, Child development, Judgment and decision making, Selective trust, Social influence",

author = "Hannes Rakoczy and Christoph Ehrling and Harris, \{Paul L.\} and Thomas Schultze",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by the German Initiative of Excellence. Thanks go to Ailbhe Costelloe, Konstanze Schirmer, Marlen Kaufmann, and Andreas Hollenbach for their help with testing and coding. We thank Andreas Gl{\"o}ckner, Daniel Haun, Mike Tomasello, and Michael Waldmann for their valuable comments on a previous draft. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2015 Elsevier Inc.",

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AU - Ehrling, Christoph

AU - Harris, Paul L.

AU - Schultze, Thomas

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by the German Initiative of Excellence. Thanks go to Ailbhe Costelloe, Konstanze Schirmer, Marlen Kaufmann, and Andreas Hollenbach for their help with testing and coding. We thank Andreas Glöckner, Daniel Haun, Mike Tomasello, and Michael Waldmann for their valuable comments on a previous draft. Publisher Copyright: © 2015 Elsevier Inc.

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N2 - A rational strategy to update and revise one's uncertain beliefs is to take advice by other agents who are better informed. Adults routinely engage in such advice taking in systematic and selective ways depending on relevant characteristics such as reliability of advisors. The current study merged research in social and developmental psychology to examine whether children also adjust their initial judgment to varying degrees depending on the characteristics of their advisors. Participants aged 3 to 6. years played a game in which they made initial judgments, received advice, and subsequently made final judgments. They systematically revised their judgments in light of the advice, and they did so selectively as a function of advisor expertise. They made greater adjustments to their initial judgment when advised by an apparently knowledgeable informant. This suggests that the pattern of advice taking studied in social psychology has its roots in early development.

AB - A rational strategy to update and revise one's uncertain beliefs is to take advice by other agents who are better informed. Adults routinely engage in such advice taking in systematic and selective ways depending on relevant characteristics such as reliability of advisors. The current study merged research in social and developmental psychology to examine whether children also adjust their initial judgment to varying degrees depending on the characteristics of their advisors. Participants aged 3 to 6. years played a game in which they made initial judgments, received advice, and subsequently made final judgments. They systematically revised their judgments in light of the advice, and they did so selectively as a function of advisor expertise. They made greater adjustments to their initial judgment when advised by an apparently knowledgeable informant. This suggests that the pattern of advice taking studied in social psychology has its roots in early development.

KW - Advice taking

KW - Belief revision

KW - Child development

KW - Judgment and decision making

KW - Selective trust

KW - Social influence

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DO - 10.1016/j.jecp.2015.04.007

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SN - 0022-0965

VL - 138

SP - 71

EP - 87

JO - Journal of Experimental Child Psychology

JF - Journal of Experimental Child Psychology

ER -

Young children heed advice selectively

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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Cite this