Who do You Want to Learn New Words From?

For 3- to 5.5-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. During the game, your child will be introduced to two characters, a child and an adult. Next, your child will play a word-learning game where they get to choose who they want to learn new object names from. Your child will hear new words and be encouraged to say them out loud. Finally, your child will play a short matching game by picking the correct object when it is named. At the end, your child will be encouraged to share with us why they made these specific choices.

Children learn new words and facts from many people, including other children and adults. This study asks how children decide who to learn from, and whether that choice depends on what they are learning about.

By understanding how children think about who knows what, researchers can learn more about how children reason about expertise and how this affects word learning. This also helps us better understand how children learn in everyday situations, like at home or in school.

20-30 minutes

Families will receive a $5 Amazon.com digital gift card as a thank-you for participating. Compensation will be provided within a week after the study is completed. To receive compensation, you must meet all of the following eligibility criteria: (1) You are located within the United States, (2) Your child falls within the age range indicated for this study, (3) Your child has not participated in this study before, (4) You provide written valid consent.