The effect of social power and information accuracy on selective trust in 4- to 6-year-old children.

The development of selective trust in young children involves the interplay between social cues and epistemic cues. This research investigated how young children (aged 4 to 6 years; N = 539) weigh social power and information accuracy when evaluating informant credibility. The results revealed that: (1) Children aged 4 to 6 years exhibited selective trust toward both dominance- and prestige-based powerholders, with dominance exerting a stronger influence, and trust in high-power individuals peaked at age 5. (2)When both high- and low-power informants demonstrated 50% accuracy, children aged 4 to 6 years consistently prioritized high-power informants (dominance and prestige). (3) When the high-power informant demonstrated 25% accuracy compared to the low-power informant's 75% accuracy, trust in dominant informants persisted at age 4 years but reversed by age 6 years, while no selective trust emerged for prestigious informants regardless of age. This study contributes to understanding how social power shapes selective trust in early childhood, offering insights into how children balance authority and evidence in real-world learning contexts.