New study shows children prefer systematic exploration over rewards

Just when adults think that children explore things randomly, a new study suggests otherwise. It showed that these little ones approach exploration in a systematic manner and that they are bound to forego rewards for the sake of exploring other options.

A study conducted by researchers at Ohio State University, published in the journal Developmental Science, observed that between adults and a number of four to five-year-old children playing a game where they earn rewards, both groups quickly learn which choices would give them the best prize. The difference between them is that adults tend to maximise their prizes, while children would continue exploring other options.

Participants in the study were 32 four-year-olds and 34 adults. A computer screen showed four alien creatures and participants were tasked to click on the creatures. Each creature would return virtual candies as rewards, with one of them giving 10 candies, the highest among the four. The goal was to have the highest number of candies.

Children and adults immediately caught on. Adults selected the "best alien" 86 percent of the time, while children chose it only 43 percent of the time. Researchers found that children were not motivated with getting the maximum reward. Rather, they were primarily motivated by the information that they gain through exploration.

Vladimir Sloutsky, a professor of psychology at the Ohio State University and a co-author of the study, stated that children did not click randomly on the creatures. He said that they were very likely to check the other non-highest-reward choices in a systematic manner, ensuring that they don't go too long without testing each individual choice.

Subsequent to this, the participants were presented with another task. In the second one, the game was similar, except that the rewards given by three of the four choices were visible, while one was hidden.

Like before, adults chose the best option, one with the highest rewards, 94 percent of the time. Children did so at 40 percent of the time. When the hidden option returned the highest reward, more adults chose it as well, at 84 percent of the times. As for children, it remained at 40 percent. The researchers explained that majority of the children were drawn towards the uncertainty of the hidden option and they just wanted to explore it.

Kids playing

Sloutsky stated that their findings have now opened the eyes of many at the regularity of the behaviour of children even if they would appear to adults as merely running around and investigating things. Based on their study, the behaviour of children seems to be formed by the desire to stockpile information.