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dc.contributor.authorXu, Y.
dc.contributor.authorHarms, M.B.
dc.contributor.authorGreen, C.S.
dc.contributor.authorWilson, R.C.
dc.contributor.authorPollak, S.D.
dc.date.accessioned2024-03-22T02:46:27Z
dc.date.available2024-03-22T02:46:27Z
dc.date.issued2023-11-27
dc.identifier.citationXu, Y., Harms, M. B., Green, C. S., Wilson, R. C., & Pollak, S. D. (2023). Childhood unpredictability and the development of exploration. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120(49), e2303869120.
dc.identifier.issn1091-6490
dc.identifier.pmid38011553
dc.identifier.doi10.1073/pnas.2303869120
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10150/671556
dc.description.abstractEarly in development, the process of exploration helps children gather new information that fosters learning about the world. Yet, it is unclear how childhood experiences may influence the way humans approach new learning. What influences decisions to exploit known, familiar options versus trying a novel alternative? We found that childhood unpredictability, characterized by unpredictable caregiving and unstable living environments, was associated with reduced exploratory behavior. This effect holds while controlling for individual differences, including anxiety and stress. Individuals who perceived their childhoods as unpredictable explored less and were instead more likely to repeat previous choices (habitual responding). They were also more sensitive to uncertainty than to potential rewards, even when the familiar options yielded lower rewards. We examined these effects across multiple task contexts and via both in-person (N = 78) and online replication (N = 84) studies among 10- to 13-y-olds. Results are discussed in terms of the potential cascading effects of unpredictable environments on the development of decision-making and the effects of early experience on subsequent learning.
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherThe National Academy of Science (NAS)
dc.rights© 2023 the Author(s). Published by PNAS. This open access article is distributed under CreativeCommons Attribution License 4.0 (CC BY).
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subjectcognitive flexibility
dc.subjectdecision-making
dc.subjectdevelopment
dc.subjectexploration
dc.subjectunpredictability
dc.titleChildhood unpredictability and the development of exploration
dc.typeArticle
dc.typetext
dc.contributor.departmentDepartment of Psychology, University of Arizona
dc.contributor.departmentCognitive Science Program, University of Arizona
dc.identifier.journalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
dc.description.noteOpen access article
dc.description.collectioninformationThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at repository@u.library.arizona.edu.
dc.eprint.versionFinal Published Version
dc.source.journaltitleProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
refterms.dateFOA2024-03-22T02:46:27Z


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© 2023 the Author(s). Published by PNAS. This open access article is distributed under CreativeCommons Attribution License 4.0 (CC BY).
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as © 2023 the Author(s). Published by PNAS. This open access article is distributed under CreativeCommons Attribution License 4.0 (CC BY).