Overoptimism about future knowledge: Early arrogance?

Abstract

Three studies explored whether young children (5–7 years) have more optimistic views of their future knowledge than older children (8–12 years) and adults. In Study 1, younger children were more likely than older children and adults to expect greater knowledge in both young and mature protagonists. Both groups of children saw knowledge rising at a faster rate into adulthood than adult participants did. All ages judged moral knowledge as much easier to acquire than other types of knowledge, such as artifacts. In Study 2, all children saw their own future knowledge in especially optimistic terms in comparison to ratings by adults, and the older children exhibited a self-enhancement bias. Study 3 found an overall preference for the acquisition of positively valenced future knowledge, particularly for the 8- to 12-year olds and in the domain of morality, suggesting pragmatic underpinnings for these judgments.

Keywords:

• Optimism
• humility
• development
• cognition
• moral knowledge
• self-enhancement
• intuitive beliefs

Funding

This research was made possible through the support of a grant from the Fuller Theological Seminary/Thrive Center in concert with the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Fuller Thrive Center or the John Templeton Foundation.

Notes

1. Because many of the child participants in Study 2 were recruited at science and children’s museums during the summer months, noise and interruptions resulted in higher drop out/incompletion rates than in Study 1.

2. Because many of the child participants in Study 3 were recruited at science and children’s museums during the summer months, noise and interruptions resulted in higher drop out/incompletion rates than in Study 1.