Experimental data on time and interventions in children's causal structure learning

Experimental data measuring the cues that children and adults use to figure out causal structure, and more specifically to explore whether there are changes with age in the accuracy of such learning and in the ways in which different cues are used. In particular, it examines the ways in which cues about the timing of events are used, and whether children can learn about the relationship between events through acting or intervening on them. <p>Imagine that you encounter three events A, B and C that tend to occur together. What are the relationships between A, B, and C? One possibility is that A causes B and B causes C; another possibility is that A separately causes both B and C.

Research on what is termed causal structure learning examines how we go about figuring out the structure of the relationships between events. When we learn about causal structure, we are essentially learning about how the world works, thus this type of learning is fundamental to the development of knowledge itself.

his project aims to examine the cues that children and adults use to figure out causal structure, and more specifically to explore whether there are changes with age in the accuracy of such learning and in the ways in which different cues are used. In particular, it will examine the ways in which cues about the timing of events are used, and whether children can learn about the relationship between events through acting or intervening on them.

The proposed project will test competing theories about the benefits of intervention and also provide a systematic exploration of developmental changes in the ability to learn through intervention.</p>