Help Evaluate the Discovery Center
Children's Social Reasoning
Some cognitive scientists study children in order to develop a better sense of how children perceive other people and how this might affect their interactions in the social world.
Traits
How do children determine who is a good source of information?
Previous research shows that children prefer learning names and uses for new objects from a person who has provided accurate information, over someone who has made mistakes in the past.
This study asks whether children’s preferences are related only to the accuracy of an information source, or whether children will also accept information from a source who is generally “good” at something (i.e.: demonstrating physical strength).
In this study, we show children, aged 3-4 years, a puppet video. In one condition, children see a puppet name familiar objects accurately, while another puppet provides wrong names (i.e.: calling a bottle an “apple”). In condition two, children see one puppet lifting heavy objects, while the other is not able to do so. In each case, one puppet is consistently “good” at either naming objects or demonstrating strength, and the other is not.
We then ask children questions about the puppets’ knowledge about new objects, as well as their potential success in physical feats.
We predict children will not judge puppets as good sources of information just because they possess a positive attribute (i.e.: being strong). Instead, we predict children will selectively judge only the previously accurate puppet as a good source of information.
This research may help us understand how children choose who, and what, to believe when learning.
Learn about other research related to Children's Social Reasoning.
This research is conducted by the Paul Harris Lab at Harvard University
Try it at the Museum
Which bear knows best?
Create a story for your child using the “real” Black Bear and a giant teddy bear as props. Have your child pretend that s/he is a hungry bear that needs directions from another bear to the Beehive.
Which bear does your child choose to guide him/her to the honey?
When deciding which bear’s directions to follow, does it matter to your child if the bear is “real”?
Try it at Home
Watching Cartoons Together
From shows like “Curious George” to “Peep and the Big Wide World,” some television programming can be both fun and educational. What television shows does your child view? Watch one of these shows with your child to see what s/he is learning. Does your child view the characters as reliable sources of information? Are some characters seen as more reliable than others?
Who knows the rules?
Teach a new sport or game to your child and help him/her learn the rules. Once your child understands how to play, invite some of his/her peers to join in the fun. If one child is unfamiliar with the sport, whom does s/he ask for help - an adult or a peer? If one child seems to have mastered the game, do children seem to gravitate toward that child, asking him/her for help?
The Living Laboratory initiative is made possible through support from the National Science Foundation.