The Privileged Status of Knowing Mechanistic Information: An Early Epistemic Bias. Issue 5 (20th May 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lockhart, Kristi L.; Chuey, Aaron; Kerr, Sophie; Keil, Frank C.
• Is Part Of: Child development. Volume 90:Issue 5(2019)
• Page Start: 1772
• Page End: 1788
• Publication Date: 2019-05-20
• Subjects: Child development -- Periodicals; Child psychology -- Periodicals; Child Development -- Periodicals; Child Development; Pediatrics -- Periodicals; Pedicatrics; 305.231
• DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13246
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0009-3920

Abstract

Abstract : Four studies with 180 5–7 year olds, 165 8–11 year olds and 199 adults show that young children appreciate the distinctive role played by mechanistic explanations in tracking causal patterns. Young children attributed greater knowledge to individuals offering mechanistic reasons for a claim than others who provide equally detailed nonmechanistic reasons. In Study 1, 5–7 year olds attributed greater knowledge to those offering mechanistic reasons. In Studies 2 and 3, all ages (5–7 and adults for Study 2; 5–7, 8–11 and adults for Study 3) assigned greater knowledge to those offering mechanistic reasons about causally central features than those offering nonmechanistic reasons. In Study 4, all ages (5–7, 8–11, adults) modulated the epistemic bias as a function of embedding goals.