Citation

Boyer TW. J. Exp. Child Psychol. 2007; 97(1): 28-43.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. tboyer@uchicago.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jecp.2006.12.008

PMID

17321540

Abstract

A computerized sequential event sampling decision-making task was administered to 187 5- to 10-year-olds and adults Participants made a series of choices between alternatives that differed in win probability (Study 1) or win and loss probability (Study 2). Intuitive and more explicit measures were used. Study 1 revealed that, across ages, participants demonstrated intuitive sensitivity to probability; however, adult participants evidenced greater sensitivity than did children, and younger children failed to demonstrate more explicit understanding of probability. Study 2 also revealed that children were intuitively sensitive to probability; however, the inclusion of loss had limited impact on decision processes. These findings and their relevance to cognitive developmental theory are discussed.

Language: en