Information Seeking and Reputation

We examine the social side of seeking knowledge. Much of what we learn comes from other people, which means that gathering information is itself a social act—one that can carry social consequences. We ask how children evaluate others' knowledge, competence, and intellectual character, and how everyday intellectual behaviors, like asking a question or admitting uncertainty, shape the way a person is perceived. This work explores questions such as whether seeking information can affect how competent or humble someone appears, and how children come to weigh the benefits of learning from others against the reputational stakes of doing so.