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Belief and quantity: three-year olds' adaptation to listener's knowledge*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 September 2008

Josef Perner  and
Susan R. Leekam
Josef Perner
Affiliation:
University of Sussex
Susan R. Leekam
Affiliation:
University of Sussex
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Abstract

Two groups of 3-year-old children (3:0–3;6 and 3;6–4;0) observed two actions of a toy. In one condition an older partner was absent while the subject watched both of the toy actions (fully ignorant partner), whereas in the other condition the partner witnessed one of the two actions together with the subject (partially ignorant partner). When asked about the toy's actions by their partially ignorant partner both age groups adjusted their answers to their partner's ignorance and mentioned only that action which was new to their partner. However, in their answers to their fully ignorant partner the younger children tended to provide insufficient information by mentioning only one instead of both actions.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Child Language , Volume 13 , Issue 2 , June 1986 , pp. 305 - 315
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1986

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