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Pre-Decisional Information Search in 2- to 4-Year-Olds: Young Children Select the Relevant Cues When Looking for a Hidden Reward

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Title: Pre-Decisional Information Search in 2- to 4-Year-Olds: Young Children Select the Relevant Cues When Looking for a Hidden Reward
Language: English
Authors: Daniil Serko (ORCID 0000-0003-2101-5618), Yi-Lin Li, Nora Swaboda, Azzurra Ruggeri
Source: Developmental Science. 2026 29(1).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 11
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Decision Making, Information Seeking, Cues, Rewards, Games, Preschool Children
DOI: 10.1111/desc.70110
ISSN: 1363-755X
1467-7687
Abstract: This paper examines the capacity of 2- to 4-year-olds (n = 111, 56 female, age 25 to 59 months) to identify and select the most informative cue among several options when searching for a target--a task commonly used in decision-making research and one in which young children have traditionally struggled. Across two experiments--including a preregistered replication--we tested children using a simplified version of Lindow's (2021) finding-presents game. Children were presented with three cue cards (e.g., color, shape, icon) they could look up to determine which of the three boxes contained a hidden reward. Only one feature actually distinguished the target box--for example, the boxes all shared the same color, and all had a sticker on top, but differed in shape--so only one cue card offered genuinely informative guidance. In the first test phase, children were presented with the "same" set of boxes from the training phase. In the second test phase, children were presented with a "new" set of boxes and cue cards featuring a novel combination of cues. In Experiment 1, overall, children were more likely to select the relevant cue card, although 2-year-olds were successful only in the Same-set test phase. Experiment 2 focused specifically on 2-year-olds and showed that they succeeded even in a version that ruled out the use of a cue-saliency heuristic. Together, these findings reveal the early emergence of pre-decisional information search abilities in preschoolers and introduce a straightforward, effective paradigm for assessing early information-seeking skills.
Abstractor: As Provided
Notes: https://osf.io/6h95e
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1492048
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Pre-Decisional Information Search in 2- to 4-Year-Olds: Young Children Select the Relevant Cues When Looking for a Hidden Reward
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Daniil+Serko%22">Daniil Serko</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2101-5618">0000-0003-2101-5618</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Yi-Lin+Li%22">Yi-Lin Li</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Nora+Swaboda%22">Nora Swaboda</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Azzurra+Ruggeri%22">Azzurra Ruggeri</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Developmental+Science%22"><i>Developmental Science</i></searchLink>. 2026 29(1).
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: This paper examines the capacity of 2- to 4-year-olds (n = 111, 56 female, age 25 to 59 months) to identify and select the most informative cue among several options when searching for a target--a task commonly used in decision-making research and one in which young children have traditionally struggled. Across two experiments--including a preregistered replication--we tested children using a simplified version of Lindow's (2021) finding-presents game. Children were presented with three cue cards (e.g., color, shape, icon) they could look up to determine which of the three boxes contained a hidden reward. Only one feature actually distinguished the target box--for example, the boxes all shared the same color, and all had a sticker on top, but differed in shape--so only one cue card offered genuinely informative guidance. In the first test phase, children were presented with the "same" set of boxes from the training phase. In the second test phase, children were presented with a "new" set of boxes and cue cards featuring a novel combination of cues. In Experiment 1, overall, children were more likely to select the relevant cue card, although 2-year-olds were successful only in the Same-set test phase. Experiment 2 focused specifically on 2-year-olds and showed that they succeeded even in a version that ruled out the use of a cue-saliency heuristic. Together, these findings reveal the early emergence of pre-decisional information search abilities in preschoolers and introduce a straightforward, effective paradigm for assessing early information-seeking skills.
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  Data: https://osf.io/6h95e
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  Data: 2026
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      – SubjectFull: Information Seeking
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      – SubjectFull: Cues
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      – SubjectFull: Rewards
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      – SubjectFull: Games
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      – SubjectFull: Preschool Children
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      – TitleFull: Pre-Decisional Information Search in 2- to 4-Year-Olds: Young Children Select the Relevant Cues When Looking for a Hidden Reward
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            NameFull: Daniil Serko
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