How Uncertainty Affects Children's Exploration and Exploitation in Statistical Learning.
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| Title: | How Uncertainty Affects Children's Exploration and Exploitation in Statistical Learning. |
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| Authors: | Tong, Shelley Xiuli (AUTHOR), Zhang, Puyuan (AUTHOR), Zhou, Mei (AUTHOR), Ziegler, Johannes C. (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Developmental Science. Jul2026, Vol. 29 Issue 4, p1-12. 12p. |
| Subjects: | Uncertainty (Information theory), Developmental psychology, School children, Stochastic learning models, Attention, Eye tracking, Pattern perception, Decision making |
| Abstract: | Environmental input is inherently uncertain at both global and local levels. Depending on the level of uncertainty, cognitive systems dynamically adapt by shifting attention between exploiting learned regularities and exploring less predictable alternatives. While these dynamics are well documented in adults, how local and global uncertainty jointly influences children's exploration‐exploitation strategies during statistical learning remains unclear. Combining eye‐tracking with a probabilistic cueing task, this study quantified local and global uncertainty on a trial‐by‐trial basis to examine their effects on children's attentional preferences for cues differing in predictive value. Overall, 158 children aged 4 to 13 years passively viewed cue‐target sequences in which target shapes were predicted by cues with high‐ and low‐transitional probabilities. Results showed that under high global uncertainty, high local uncertainty biased attention toward high‐predictive cues, indicating uncertainty‐exploitation, whereas low local uncertainty biased attention toward low‐predictive cues, suggesting certainty‐exploration. Conversely, under low global uncertainty, attentional strategies reversed, shifting toward certainty‐exploitation and uncertainty‐exploration. These patterns were amplified in older children but attenuated in younger ones. These findings support a developmental dynamic model of exploration‐exploitation in which children's attention strategies are jointly regulated by local and global uncertainty and undergo systematic change across childhood. Summary: How local and global uncertainty jointly shapes the development of children's exploration‐exploitation behavior during statistical learning across different ages remains poorly understood.Using eye‐tracking in a probabilistic learning task, we showed that 4‐13‐year‐olds adapt their information sampling and choices in response to overarching and trial‐by‐trial uncertainty.Under high global uncertainty, children relied on local uncertainty for exploitation and exploration; under low global uncertainty, they favored certainty‐driven exploitation and uncertainty‐driven exploration.These uncertainty‐regulated strategies were amplified in older children but attenuated in younger children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Developmental Science is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: pbh DbLabel: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection An: 194810473 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: How Uncertainty Affects Children's Exploration and Exploitation in Statistical Learning. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Tong%2C+Shelley+Xiuli%22">Tong, Shelley Xiuli</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zhang%2C+Puyuan%22">Zhang, Puyuan</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zhou%2C+Mei%22">Zhou, Mei</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ziegler%2C+Johannes+C%2E%22">Ziegler, Johannes C.</searchLink> (AUTHOR) – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Developmental+Science%22">Developmental Science</searchLink>. Jul2026, Vol. 29 Issue 4, p1-12. 12p. – Name: Subject Label: Subjects Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Uncertainty+%28Information+theory%29%22">Uncertainty (Information theory)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Developmental+psychology%22">Developmental psychology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+children%22">School children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Stochastic+learning+models%22">Stochastic learning models</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Attention%22">Attention</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Eye+tracking%22">Eye tracking</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pattern+perception%22">Pattern perception</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Decision+making%22">Decision making</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Environmental input is inherently uncertain at both global and local levels. Depending on the level of uncertainty, cognitive systems dynamically adapt by shifting attention between exploiting learned regularities and exploring less predictable alternatives. While these dynamics are well documented in adults, how local and global uncertainty jointly influences children's exploration‐exploitation strategies during statistical learning remains unclear. Combining eye‐tracking with a probabilistic cueing task, this study quantified local and global uncertainty on a trial‐by‐trial basis to examine their effects on children's attentional preferences for cues differing in predictive value. Overall, 158 children aged 4 to 13 years passively viewed cue‐target sequences in which target shapes were predicted by cues with high‐ and low‐transitional probabilities. Results showed that under high global uncertainty, high local uncertainty biased attention toward high‐predictive cues, indicating uncertainty‐exploitation, whereas low local uncertainty biased attention toward low‐predictive cues, suggesting certainty‐exploration. Conversely, under low global uncertainty, attentional strategies reversed, shifting toward certainty‐exploitation and uncertainty‐exploration. These patterns were amplified in older children but attenuated in younger ones. These findings support a developmental dynamic model of exploration‐exploitation in which children's attention strategies are jointly regulated by local and global uncertainty and undergo systematic change across childhood. Summary: How local and global uncertainty jointly shapes the development of children's exploration‐exploitation behavior during statistical learning across different ages remains poorly understood.Using eye‐tracking in a probabilistic learning task, we showed that 4‐13‐year‐olds adapt their information sampling and choices in response to overarching and trial‐by‐trial uncertainty.Under high global uncertainty, children relied on local uncertainty for exploitation and exploration; under low global uncertainty, they favored certainty‐driven exploitation and uncertainty‐driven exploration.These uncertainty‐regulated strategies were amplified in older children but attenuated in younger children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Developmental Science is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1111/desc.70235 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 12 StartPage: 1 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Uncertainty (Information theory) Type: general – SubjectFull: Developmental psychology Type: general – SubjectFull: School children Type: general – SubjectFull: Stochastic learning models Type: general – SubjectFull: Attention Type: general – SubjectFull: Eye tracking Type: general – SubjectFull: Pattern perception Type: general – SubjectFull: Decision making Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: How Uncertainty Affects Children's Exploration and Exploitation in Statistical Learning. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Tong, Shelley Xiuli – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Zhang, Puyuan – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Zhou, Mei – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Ziegler, Johannes C. IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 07 Text: Jul2026 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 1363755X Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 29 – Type: issue Value: 4 Titles: – TitleFull: Developmental Science Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |
