Psychology Colloquia

Abstract:: Much of what children learn about their physical and social environment is based upon the statements of others. If children wish to obtain information that is accurate, they need to learn how to choose their sources wisely. Previous research on this topic has focused on whether children use information about a source's relevant knowledge or accuracy on previous occasions. I will present research on a different aspect of evaluating others as sources of information: the possibility that sources will not accurately communicate what they know. My colleagues and I have conducted a series of studies with 6- to 12-year-olds in the U.S. and China, and have found both age-related differences and cross-cultural differences their reasoning. For example, the older children in each country showed a substantially higher level of skepticism than the younger children, and both younger and older children in China showed more skepticism than their age-matched counterparts in the U.S.
About the Speaker:: I am a developmental psychologist who studies social and cognitive development, with a focus on children's reasoning about people. One primary line of research, which is being conducted both in the U.S. and in China, focuses on how children present information to others, and how they evaluate information that others present. I am also interested in beliefs related to achievement motivation, the relation between language and person perception, and flexibility in children's thinking.

For More Information About This Speaker:

http://psy.ucsd.edu/~gheyman/
Dr. Heyman's website.

University of California, San Diego
Homepage Calendar Directions Past Events Psych Homepage UCSD Homepage	The Department of Psychology is Honored to Present a Talk by Gail Heyman University of California, San Diego "Children's Reasoning about Motives to Disclose or to Deceive" Presented on April 3, 2008 Location: The Crick Conference Room Mandler Hall, room 3545 Abstract: Much of what children learn about their physical and social environment is based upon the statements of others. If children wish to obtain information that is accurate, they need to learn how to choose their sources wisely. Previous research on this topic has focused on whether children use information about a source's relevant knowledge or accuracy on previous occasions. I will present research on a different aspect of evaluating others as sources of information: the possibility that sources will not accurately communicate what they know. My colleagues and I have conducted a series of studies with 6- to 12-year-olds in the U.S. and China, and have found both age-related differences and cross-cultural differences their reasoning. For example, the older children in each country showed a substantially higher level of skepticism than the younger children, and both younger and older children in China showed more skepticism than their age-matched counterparts in the U.S. About the Speaker: I am a developmental psychologist who studies social and cognitive development, with a focus on children's reasoning about people. One primary line of research, which is being conducted both in the U.S. and in China, focuses on how children present information to others, and how they evaluate information that others present. I am also interested in beliefs related to achievement motivation, the relation between language and person perception, and flexibility in children's thinking. For More Information About This Speaker: http://psy.ucsd.edu/~gheyman/ Dr. Heyman's website.
Researchers and the general public are both welcome to attend the Psychology department's colloquia. Reservations are not required, and admission is free. If you have any questions regarding the department's colloquium series, then please write to colloquia@psy.ucsd.edu