Mind the gap: How incomplete explanations influence children’s interest and learning behaviors

Children rely on others’ explanations to learn scientific concepts, yet sometimes the explanations they receive are incomplete. Three studies explore how receiving incomplete or complete explanations influences children’s subsequent interest and engagement in learning behaviors to obtain additional information about a topic. Children ages 7–10 (N = 275; 49% female, 51% male; 55% white) viewed question-and-answer exchanges about animal behaviors...