cognitive development

Developmental changes in exploration resemble stochastic optimization

Human development is often described as a “cooling off” process, analogous to stochastic optimization algorithms that implement a gradual reduction in randomness over time. Yet there is ambiguity in how to interpret this analogy, due to a lack of …

Developmental trajectories in the understanding of everyday uncertainty terms

Dealing with uncertainty and different degrees of frequency and probability is critical in many everyday activities. However, relevant information does not always come in the form of numerical estimates or direct experiences, but is instead obtained …

Finding the (most efficient) way out of a maze is easier than asking (good) questions

We investigate whether a spatial representation of a search task supports 4- to 7-year-old children’s information-search strategies, relative to their performance in a question-asking game. In Experiment 1, children played two computationally and …