Explain if you can!

For 6-7 year olds

This study will take place on a video call - live with a researcher! Clicking on the "Schedule a time to participate" button will send you to an online calendar where you can select a date and time that works for you. Your child will hear five stories and answer questions. In each story, different characters will experience events in different ways. After hearing each story, your child will answer questions about what the characters might be thinking and also what your child thinks about why something happened in the story.

In this study, we aim to explore how children understand situations where two causes must combine to produce an outcome, while simultaneously tracking what different people know about these causes. We are particularly interested in how children explain these causal events to others based on what they believe those individuals know. For example, one character might only know that a plant was watered, while another might only know that it received fertilizer. Your child will be the only one who observes both causes and the resulting outcome (the blooming plant). We will then ask your child questions about what each character might think caused the outcome, as well as what your child themselves believes caused it. This research helps us understand key developmental processes in children's cognitive and social reasoning, specifically, how children integrate their understanding of causality with their awareness of others' knowledge states. These skills are essential for effective communication and social interaction throughout life.

20 minutes

You will receive a $5 Tango gift card for completing this study within one week of participation. Compensation is contingent on attending the scheduled Zoom as well as having your child within the stated age range, present, and visible during the Zoom session.