Return of the Candy Witch: Individual differences in acceptance and stability of belief in a novel fantastical being
Authors: Boerger, Elizabeth A.1; Tullos, Ansley2; Woolley, Jacqueline D.2
Source: British Journal of Developmental Psychology, Volume 27, Number 4, November 2009 , pp. 953-970(18)
Publisher: British Psychological Society
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Abstract:
Recent research indicates that preschoolers make sophisticated choices in accepting testimony as a source of knowledge. Nonetheless, many children accept fantastical beings as real based on misleading testimony. The present study probes factors associated with belief in a novel fantastical figure, the Candy Witch, that 3- to 7-year-olds heard about at school. Short-term belief was predicted by an interaction of age, existing beliefs in fantastical figures, and whether the child was `visited' by the Candy Witch. Stability of belief was assessed over the course of 3 weeks and again 1-year later. First year results revealed three patterns of belief: stable belief, wavering belief and stable non-belief. First year belief status was not related to age, but older children from the stable belief group were more likely than younger children to disbelieve 1-year later. The discussion presents a new proposal for the trajectory from belief to disbelief and an updated perspective on the role of individual differences in belief.Document Type: Research article
DOI: 10.1348/026151008X398557
Affiliations: 1: University of Mississippi, Mississippi, USA 2: University of Texas, Austin, Texas, USA
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