The effects of source unreliability on prior and future word learning

Abstract

Young children regularly learn words from interactions with other speakers, though not all speakers are reliable informants. Interestingly, children will reverse to trusting a reliable speaker when a previously endorsed speaker proves unreliable. When later asked to identify the referent of a novel word, children who reverse trust are less willing to consider previously mislabeled objects. The current studies report two related findings. When later asked to identify the label of a novel object, children who reverse trust are less willing to consider previously misused words. When later asked to identify the referent of a novel word, children who reverse trust are less willing to endorse the testimony of the initially trusted but unreliable speaker – even when judged against a stranger. Overall, these findings suggest reversing trust has residual effects for elements involved in the original acquisition of misinformation (e.g. the mislabeled object, misused word, and originally trusted speaker), and these effects could undermine later word-learning efforts. Accounts of children who continue endorsing an unreliable speaker despite opposing testimony from a reliable speaker are also considered.