1. The Influence of First-Hand Testimony and Hearsay on Children's Belief in the Improbable.
- Author
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Lane, Jonathan D., Ronfard, Samuel, El‐Sherif, Diana, and El-Sherif, Diana
- Subjects
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HEARSAY evidence , *LEGAL testimony , *EXPERIENCE in children , *BELIEF & doubt , *PSYCHOLOGY of preschool children , *ATTITUDE (Psychology) , *CHILD psychology , *COMPARATIVE studies , *JUDGMENT (Psychology) , *RESEARCH methodology , *MEDICAL cooperation , *RESEARCH , *DISCLOSURE , *EVALUATION research - Abstract
Children (3.5-8.5 years; n = 105) heard claims about the occurrence of improbable or impossible events, then were asked whether the events could really happen. Some claims were based on informants' first-hand observations and others were hearsay. A baseline group (n = 56) reported their beliefs about these events without hearing testimony. Neither first-hand claims nor hearsay influenced beliefs about impossible events, which remained low across the age range. Hearsay (but not first-hand claims) did influence beliefs about improbable events. Preschoolers expressed greater belief following hearsay, compared to their beliefs following first-hand claims and compared to the baseline group's beliefs. By contrast, older children expressed less belief following hearsay, compared to their beliefs following first-hand claims and compared to the baseline group's beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2018
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