The Development of Selective Copying: Children's Learning From an Expert Versus Their Mother. Issue 6 (29th December 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lucas, Amanda J.; Burdett, Emily R. R.; Burgess, Vanessa; Wood, Lara A.; McGuigan, Nicola; Harris, Paul L.; Whiten, Andrew
• Is Part Of: Child development. Volume 88:Issue 6(2017)
• Page Start: 2026
• Page End: 2042
• Publication Date: 2016-12-29
• Subjects: Child development -- Periodicals; Child psychology -- Periodicals; Child Development -- Periodicals; Child Development; Pediatrics -- Periodicals; Pedicatrics; 305.231
• DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12711
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0009-3920

Abstract

Abstract : This study tested the prediction that, with age, children should rely less on familiarity and more on expertise in their selective social learning. Experiment 1 ( N = 50) found that 5‐ to 6‐year‐olds copied the technique their mother used to extract a prize from a novel puzzle box, in preference to both a stranger and an established expert. This bias occurred despite children acknowledging the expert model's superior capability. Experiment 2 ( N = 50) demonstrated a shift in 7‐ to 8‐year‐olds toward copying the expert. Children aged 9–10 years did not copy according to a model bias. The findings of a follow‐up study ( N = 30) confirmed that, instead, they prioritized their own—partially flawed—causal understanding of the puzzle box.