Abstract
The world can be a confusing place, which leads to a significant challenge: how do we figure out what is true? To accomplish this, children possess two relevant skills: reasoning about the likelihood of their own accuracy (metacognitive confidence) and reasoning about the likelihood of others’ accuracy (mindreading). Guided by Signal Detection Theory and Simulation Theory, we examine whether these two self- and other-oriented skills are one in the same, relying on a single cognitive process. Specifically, Signal Detection Theory proposes that confidence in a decision is purely derived from the imprecision of that decision, predicting a tight correlation between decision accuracy and confidence. Simulation Theory further proposes that children attribute their own cognitive experience to others when reasoning socially. Together, these theories predict that children’s self and other reasoning should be highly correlated and dependent on decision accuracy. In four studies (N = 374), children aged 4–7 completed a confidence reasoning task and selective social learning task each designed to eliminate confounding language and response biases, enabling us to isolate the unique correlation between self and other reasoning. However, in three of the four studies, we did not find that individual differences on the two tasks correlated, nor that decision accuracy explained performance. These findings suggest self and other reasoning are either independent in childhood, or the result of a single process that operates differently for self and others.
Highlights
How do children distinguish truths from falsehoods, like determining that their sibling is lying about the moon being made of cheese? As early as infancy, humans possess several tools to help evaluate truthfulness, including early-emerging core concepts for physical objects and psychological agency (Carey, 2009; Spelke & Kinzler, 2007), and a tendency to
Given that both tasks demonstrated as expected that children were sensitive to relative differences in their own (Confidence Task) or another’s relative accuracy (Selective Social Learning Task, except the Endorse trials), we looked for correlations of individual differences between the two tasks
We found no correlations between the self and other tasks. This was expected for the individual differences in emotion and number confidence, it was contrary to our expectation for the area Confidence task
Summary
How do children distinguish truths from falsehoods, like determining that their sibling is lying about the moon being made of cheese? As early as infancy, humans possess several tools to help evaluate truthfulness, including early-emerging core concepts for physical objects and psychological agency (Carey, 2009; Spelke & Kinzler, 2007), and a tendency to. Children have at least two abilities that help them evaluate the reliability of evidence, one focused on the self and one focused on others. Twenty-month-old infants respond to uncertainty by asking their caregiver for help (Goupil et al, 2016) These findings suggest that reasoning about confidence, evaluating the reliability of one’s own knowledge, emerges at a young age. Children could base both self and other evaluations on similar information (e.g., noting for themselves and for others that long decision times signal answers that are more likely to be wrong; Koriat & Ackerman, 2010b), and could rely on similar processing mechanisms when using this information to form reliability estimates in both cases
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.