title: Escape from metaignorance: how children develop an understanding of their own lack of knowledge.
abstract: Previous research yielded conflicting results about when children can accurately assess their epistemic states in different hiding tasks. In Experiment 1, ninety-two 3- to 7-year-olds were either shown which object was hidden inside a box, were totally ignorant about what it could be, or were presented with two objects one of which was being put inside (partial exposure). Even 3-year-olds could assess their epistemic states in the total ignorance and the complete knowledge task. However, only children older than 5 could assess their ignorance in the partial exposure task. In Experiment 2 with one hundred and one 3- to 7-year-olds, similar results were found for children under 5 years even when more objects were shown in partial exposure tasks. Implications for children's developing theory of knowledge are discussed.
authors.affiliation: University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria. michael.rohwer@sbg.ac.at
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rohwer
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kloo
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Perner
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D032882:Comprehension / Q000502:physiology*; D003210:Concept Formation / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment / Q000502:physiology; D019359:Knowledge; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D012649:Self Concept