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Related Concept Videos

Statistical Hypothesis Testing01:16

Statistical Hypothesis Testing

Hypothesis testing is a critical statistical procedure facilitating informed, evidence-based decisions. It begins with a hypothesis, which is a tentative explanation, or a prediction about a population parameter. This hypothesis can be either a null hypothesis (H0), indicating no effect or difference, or an alternative hypothesis (Ha), suggesting an effect or difference.
Statistical significance measures the probability that an observed result occurred by chance. If this probability, known as...
Cause and Effect01:53

Cause and Effect

While variables are sometimes correlated because one does cause the other, it could also be that some other factor, a confounding variable, is actually causing the systematic movement in our variables of interest. For instance, as sales in ice cream increase, so does the overall rate of crime. Is it possible that indulging in your favorite flavor of ice cream could send you on a crime spree? Or, after committing crime do you think you might decide to treat yourself to a cone?
Null and Alternative Hypotheses01:16

Null and Alternative Hypotheses

The actual hypothesis testing begins by considering two hypotheses. They are termed  the null hypothesis and the alternative hypothesis. These hypotheses contain opposing viewpoints.
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The alternative hypothesis, denoted by H1 or Ha, is a claim about the population that is...
Naturalistic Observations02:30

Naturalistic Observations

If you want to understand how behavior occurs, one of the best ways to gain information is to simply observe the behavior in its natural context. However, people might change their behavior in unexpected ways if they know they are being observed. How do researchers obtain accurate information when people tend to hide their natural behavior? As an example, imagine that your professor asks everyone in your class to raise their hand if they always wash their hands after using the restroom. Chances...
What is an Experiment?01:12

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An experiment is a planned activity carried out under controlled conditions. The purpose of an experiment is to investigate the relationship between two variables. When one variable causes change in another, we call the first variable the explanatory or independent variable. The affected variable is called the response or dependent variable. In a randomized experiment, the researcher manipulates values of the explanatory variable and measures the resulting changes in the response variable. The...
Observational Learning01:12

Observational Learning

Albert Bandura's observational learning, also known as imitation or modeling, occurs when a person observes and imitates another's behavior. It is a quicker process than operant conditioning. A well-known example is the Bobo doll study, where children who saw an adult acting aggressively towards the doll were more likely to act aggressively when left alone, compared to those who observed a nonaggressive adult. Many psychologists view observational learning as a form of latent learning because...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 26, 2026

The Modified Temptation Resistance Task: A Paradigm to Elicit Children's Strategic Lie-telling
06:51

The Modified Temptation Resistance Task: A Paradigm to Elicit Children's Strategic Lie-telling

Published on: April 6, 2018

Exploring explanation: explaining inconsistent evidence informs exploratory, hypothesis-testing behavior in young

Cristine H Legare1

  • 1University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA. legare@psy.utexas.edu

Child Development
|December 17, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Explaining surprising results helps young children learn cause and effect. Children who explained inconsistencies engaged in more hypothesis testing and generated new ideas.

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An Experimental Analysis of Children's Ability to Provide a False Report about a Crime
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An Experimental Analysis of Children's Ability to Provide a False Report about a Crime

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 26, 2026

The Modified Temptation Resistance Task: A Paradigm to Elicit Children's Strategic Lie-telling
06:51

The Modified Temptation Resistance Task: A Paradigm to Elicit Children's Strategic Lie-telling

Published on: April 6, 2018

An Experimental Analysis of Children's Ability to Provide a False Report about a Crime
07:36

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Published on: May 3, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Development
  • Causal Learning
  • Child Psychology

Background:

  • Explaining inconsistencies is crucial for causal learning and belief revision.
  • Understanding how children generate amended beliefs after encountering unexpected outcomes is key.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how explanation influences exploratory behavior in young children.
  • To examine the link between explanation and hypothesis generation following consistent versus inconsistent outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • A study involving 80 children aged 2–6 years.
  • Examined the relationship between explanation and exploratory actions.
  • Compared responses to consistent versus inconsistent outcomes.

Main Results:

  • For inconsistent outcomes, children's explanations guided their exploratory behavior.
  • The type of explanation influenced hypothesis modification and generation.
  • No significant effect was observed for consistent outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • Explaining inconsistent evidence is a mechanism that guides children's causal cognition.
  • This process facilitates hypothesis testing and the development of new causal beliefs.
  • Findings offer insight into how children learn from surprising events.