Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 26, 2025
06:51
The Modified Temptation Resistance Task: A Paradigm to Elicit Children's Strategic Lie-telling
Published on: April 6, 2018
8.4K
Children's developing ability to recognize deceptive use of true information.
Karen C Levush1, Lucas Payne Butler1
1Department of Human Development & Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
|May 8, 2024
Summary
Children as young as 5 can recognize deliberate omissions in disinformation, a key tactic. Sufficient scaffolding is crucial for developing this skill, enhancing psychological resistance against misinformation.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Disinformation Studies
Background:
- Deliberate omissions, a deceptive tactic in disinformation, require complex social cognitive reasoning for recognition.
- Understanding the developmental trajectory of recognizing such deception is vital for combating misinformation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the developmental capacity of children to recognize deception through deliberate omissions.
- To identify the role of social cognition in identifying manipulative disinformation tactics.
Main Methods:
- Two preregistered studies were conducted to assess children's ability to detect deliberate omissions.
- The research focused on children's social cognitive reasoning processes in relation to disinformation.
Main Results:
- Children aged 5 and older demonstrated the capability to recognize deception via deliberate omissions.
- Sufficient scaffolding significantly improved children's ability to identify this form of disinformation.
Conclusions:
- Social cognition is fundamental to recognizing disinformation techniques.
- Developing pragmatic competence and epistemic vigilance can build psychological resistance to disinformation in young children.
Related Concept Videos
01:14Piaget's Stage 2 of Cognitive Development
71
The preoperational stage, the second of Jean Piaget's four stages of cognitive development, spans approximately ages 2 to 7 and is characterized by the emergence of symbolic thinking. During this stage, children use language, images, and symbols to represent objects and concepts, enabling them to engage in imaginative and pretend play. This symbolic thinking supports children's ability to perform make-believe actions, such as imagining a broom as a horse or their hand as a phone,...
71
01:30Information Processing Approach
33
The information-processing theory of cognitive development centers on fundamental mental processes, including attention, memory, and problem-solving skills. Researchers in this field examine how cognitive abilities, such as working memory, evolve and influence children's overall development. Studies indicate that children with stronger working memory tend to excel in reading comprehension, math, and problem-solving compared to peers with less efficient memory skills. Low working memory is...
33
01:18False Memories
86
False memories represent a cognitive distortion in which individuals recall events that did not happen, or remember them in an altered form. This phenomenon highlights the brain's constructive nature in processing and recalling memories, emphasizing that memory is not a perfect representation of past events but rather a dynamic reconstruction influenced by various factors.
One primary source of false memories is misattribution, where individuals incorrectly associate external information...
One primary source of false memories is misattribution, where individuals incorrectly associate external information...
86
01:18Cognitive Development During Adolescence
53
During adolescence, individuals experience significant cognitive development that enhances their understanding of others' emotions and thoughts, known as cognitive empathy. This period is marked by an increased ability to adapt to others' perspectives and a more nuanced understanding of others' mental states, a skill that is foundational for social problem-solving and conflict avoidance. The development of cognitive empathy relies heavily on the theory of mind — the...
53
01:24Revisionist Views of Adolescent and Adult Cognition
31
A revisionist approach to Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development has brought new insights that challenge and reinterpret his established ideas. Piaget proposed that the formal operational stage, emerging in adolescence, represents the culmination of cognitive maturity. During this stage, individuals are said to develop abstract thinking, engage in systematic problem-solving, and show a form of egocentrism, believing others are as preoccupied with their behavior as they are...
31
01:14Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development
619
The sensorimotor stage, the initial phase of Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, spans the first two years of a child's life. During this period, infants actively engage with their surroundings, building cognitive awareness through direct interaction with the world. This interaction is primarily based on sensory perception and motor actions, allowing infants to gradually understand basic physical properties and predict how objects interact within their environment.
619