The effects of decision characteristics on children's selective search of predecisional information

In the present research, an information-board procedure was used to examine second and fifth grade children's selective search of predecisional information. Several conditions were used to facilitate children's selective search of information, including putting decisions within meaningful contexts (i.e., stories), increasing the perceptual salience of some of the dimensions on the information boards, and constraining the amount of time and the amount of information children could take when searching predecisional information. It was found that both second and fifth graders' predecisional search became more selective when the perceptual salience of some of the dimensions was increased. Children also became more selective in their searching over successive decisions. In contrast, the information constraint resulted in less selective searching, and less choosing of the best alternative for both second and fifth graders, whereas the time pressure decreased second but not fifth graders' selectivity in searching. Thus, without sufficient mastery of a search strategy, children may resort to using less sophisticated strategies, particularly under time and information pressures. These results are discussed in terms how the development of selective search and attentional strategies may impact both predecisional search behavior and the quality of children's decisions.