Journal
COGNITION
Volume 120, Issue 3, Pages 341-349Publisher
ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2011.03.003
Keywords
Probabilistic models; Expected information gain; Theory theory; Preschoolers; Causal learning; Exploratory play; Interventions; Grounded causal models
Categories
Funding
- Direct For Education and Human Resources
- Division Of Research On Learning [0744213] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Probabilistic models of expected information gain require integrating prior knowledge about causal hypotheses with knowledge about possible actions that might generate data relevant to those hypotheses. Here we looked at whether preschoolers (mean: 54 months) recognize action possibilities (affordances) in the environment that allow them to isolate variables when there is information to be gained. By manipulating the physical properties of the stimuli, we were able to affect the degree to which candidate variables could be isolated; by manipulating the base rate of candidate causes, we were able to affect the potential for information gain. Children's exploratory play was sensitive to both manipulations: given unambiguous evidence children played indiscriminately and rarely tried to isolate candidate causes; given ambiguous evidence, children both selected (Experiment 1) and designed (Experiment 2) informative interventions. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available