Children Selectively Trust Informative Gestures from Non-Agentic Robots

Across two studies, we examined preschoolers’ selective trust in non-verbal informants. Three-year-olds showed sensitivity to informant accuracy but hesitated to endorse a competent robot over an incompetent human. Five-year-olds prioritized epistemic reliability, endorsing accurate robots despite minimal agency. Findings reveal a developmental shift toward valuing accuracy over social characteristics.