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Social-cognitive processes in preschoolers' selective trust: three cultures compared
Amanda J Lucas1, Charlie Lewis, F Cansu Pala
1Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, Fylde College, Lancaster LA1 4YF, United Kingdom. a.lucas@lancaster.ac.uk
Developmental Psychology
|September 6, 2012
Summary
Turkish preschoolers showed better selective trust than Chinese preschoolers, linked to understanding false beliefs, not executive function. This suggests language exposure influences how children assess information reliability.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Linguistic Anthropology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Selective learning research is predominantly from English-speaking contexts.
- Preschoolers' ability to evaluate information sources is crucial for cognitive development.
- Cross-cultural studies are needed to understand variations in selective learning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare selective trust in Turkish, Chinese, and English preschoolers.
- To investigate the roles of executive function and false belief attribution in selective trust.
- To explore the impact of linguistic features, like evidential markers, on selective learning.
Main Methods:
- An extended selective trust task administered to 144 preschoolers (Turkish, Chinese, English).
- Measurement of children's executive function skills.
- Assessment of children's capacity for false belief attribution.
Main Results:
- Turkish preschoolers demonstrated a significant advantage in selective trust compared to Chinese preschoolers.
- Selective trust was positively correlated with false belief attribution, but not executive function.
- This study provides the first evidence linking exposure to evidential markers in language with enhanced informant reliability assessment in preschoolers.
Conclusions:
- Linguistic exposure, specifically to evidential markers, may enhance preschoolers' sensitivity to informant reliability.
- The development of selective trust is associated with the ability to understand false beliefs.
- Effective selective learning is intertwined with a child's developing capacity to evaluate the knowledge sources of others.
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