Little pitchers use their big ears: preschoolers solve problems by listening to others ask questions.
Children ask questions and learn from the responses they receive; however, little is known about how children learn from listening to others ask questions. Five experiments examined preschoolers' (N = 179) ability to solve simple problems using information gathered from listening to question-and-answer exchanges between 2 parties present in the same room. Overall, the ability to efficiently use information gathered from overheard exchanges improved between ages 3 and 5. Critically, however, across ages children solved the majority of problems correctly, suggesting preschoolers are capable of learning from others' questions. Moreover, children learned from others' questions without explicit instruction and when engaged in another activity. Implications for the development of problem-solving skills are discussed.
The University of Texas at Dallas, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences GR41, Richardson, TX 75080, USA. candice.mills@utdallas.edu
Candice M
CM
Mills
Judith H
JH
Danovitch
Meridith G
MG
Grant
Fadwa B
FB
Elashi
D000367:Age Factors; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003142:Communication; D032882:Comprehension; D003210:Concept Formation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D010988:Play and Playthings; D011340:Problem Solving; D012660:Semantics; D012931:Social Environment; D013067:Speech Perception; D014163:Transfer, Psychology; D014705:Verbal Behavior