Appendix A: Triad Task Protocol

Division of Cognitive Labor 1

Appendix A: Triad Task Protocol

Ok. I'm trying to learn more about how kids think, and I need your help. Thanks for helping me out. Today we are going to talk about experts. Do you know what an expert is?

(Wait for response.)

(If No, say:)

Would you like me to tell you? An expert is someone who knows a lot about something.

(Once they know what an expert is, say:)

Can you think of some experts?

(Wait for response.)

(If yes,)

What kind of experts are you thinking of?

What do they know a lot about?

(Correct their idea of experts if necessary.)

How about a doctor? A doctor is an expert, right?

What do doctors know all about?

(Correct if necessary.)

Right, doctors know all about how our bodies work, more than we know about how our bodies work. And they know all about why people get sick, and how to help people feel better.

How about a car mechanic (car fixer, someone who fixes cars)?

Car mechanics (or car fixers) are experts to because they know all about how our cars work. They know how to fix them if they are not working right.

They are experts too, right?

Now experts don't know everything, do they?

If your car was making funny noises, you wouldn't take it to the doctor, would you?

And if you broke your arm, you wouldn't go to the car mechanic, would you?

No, of course not. So experts know a lot about something, but they don’t know everything.

So here is what we are going to do. I'm going to tell you about an expert, and then I'm going to ask you what else you think they know. And I'm going to give you two choices. Let's try two examples to show you how it will go.

I have a friend named Sue. Sue is an expert because she knows all about numbers. She can add really fast and knows all about how to add big numbers together.

Does she know more about counting or saying the alphabet?

(If participant answers, Saying the alphabet, ask why, then correct.)

Right, she knows more about counting.

Why does she know more about counting?

Right, She knows about counting because she is an expert about numbers.

Now do you think she knows how to say the alphabet? (intonation indicates "yes")

I'm sure she knows how to say the alphabet, but you are right--she knows more about counting. Good.

So here's the next example.

I have another friend named Bill. Bill is an expert because he knows all about drawing with crayons (even more than you or I know about drawing with crayons). He can draw anything with crayons.

Does he know more about cooking dinner or painting pictures?

(If participant answers, cooking dinner, ask why, then correct.)

Right, he knows more about painting pictures. Now how did you know that? I didn't say he knew about painting pictures, but you just figured it out.

Good, you've got the hang of this. Let's get started.

Ok, now these questions may not be as easy as the ones we just did (the examples), but remember there are no right or wrong answers. I really want to know what you think the answer is.

And I'm going to show you pictures of the experts or pictures of what the experts know about. The pictures are supposed to help you remember what we're talking about. They do not have any clues in them, they do not contain the answers, so you do not have to study them really hard or anything. They are really just to help your remember.
Appendix B: Original Triad Stimuli

Condition A

type

This expert knows all about why it's easier to push an empty shopping cart than a full one (physics)

Do they know more about why when people get paint on their hands, it dries (chemistry) chem

Do they know more about why when you throw a ball in the air, it comes back down (physics) phys

This expert knows all about why people sometimes fall on wet floors (physics) phys phys

Do they know more about why paper burns quickly when you put a match to it (chemistry) chem

Do they know more about why yo-yo's come back up after you let them down (physics) phys

This expert knows all about why a hammer drives a nail better if you swing the hammer faster (physics)

Do they know more about why salt on people's icy driveways makes the ice melt sooner (chemistry)

Do they know more about why people who jump harder on a trampoline go higher (physics) phys phys

This expert knows all about why a big, heavy boat takes a really long time to stop (physics) phys

Do they know more about why laundry soap cleans kid's dirty clothes (chemistry) chem

Do they know more about why you can bounce a basketball better on the street than on grass (physics) phys

This expert knows all about why some people act like leaders and some people act like followers (social psychology)

Do they know more about why people forget things when they get interrupted by the phone ringing (cog psychology)

Do they know more about why people help each other when they're in trouble (social psychology) soc

This expert knows all about why people get angry if someone else is mean to them (social psychology)

Do they know more about why you can't understand two friends talking at the same time (cog psychology)

Do they know more about why you like to do some of the same things your friends like to do (soc psychology) soc

This expert knows all about why people sometimes fight more when they're tired (social psychology)

Do they know more about why people make a shopping list when they are going shopping later (cog psychology)

Do they know more about why people smile at their friends when they see them (social psychology) soc

This expert knows all about why people feel bad if their best friend doesn't play with them (social psychology)

Do they know more about why two year olds can't count very well (cog psychology) cog

Do they know more about why grown ups fall in love (social psychology) soc soc

This expert knows all about why water is important to help our bodies work (molecular biology) mbio

Do they know more about why giraffes have long necks and lots of spots (evolutionary biology) ebio

Do they know more about why tall parents have tall kids and short parents have short kids (molecular biology) mbio

This expert knows all about why identical twins look exactly alike (molecular biology) mbio

Do they know more about why roses have sharp thorns (evolutionary biology) ebio

Do they know more about why drinking milk makes your bones stronger (molecular biology) mbio

This expert knows all about why people get tired if they don't eat (molecular biology) mbio

Do they know more about why polar bears (bears who live in snowy places) have white fur (evolutionary biology) ebio

Do they know more about why gasoline is poisonous for you (molecular biology) mbio

This expert knows all about why sugar gives us energy to run around and do things (molecular biology) mbio

Do they know more about why birds have feathers (evolutionary biology) ( ebio

Do they know more about why bug spray in the water hurts fish (molecular biology) mbio

This expert knows all about why price of a new car usually goes up every year (economics) econ

Do they know more about why some countries fight more wars than others (political science) polisci

Do they know more about why more people work at hot dog stands at the beach in the summer (economics) econ

This expert knows all about why we have banks to put our savings in (economics) econ

Do they know more about why states can make different speed limits (political science) polisci

Do they know more about why at the store it is hard to find new games for old Nintendo's (economics) econ

This expert knows all about why people who make cars could lose their jobs if lots of people ride the bus (economics

Do they know more about why policemen can't put people in jail without a reason (political science)

Do they know more about why old bread costs less than fresh bread (economics) econ econ

This expert knows all about why it is easier to get a job if you stay in school and go to college (economics)

Do they know more about why people have to be born in the United States to be president (political science)

Do they know more about why people use money to buy things (economics) econ econ

Condition B

This expert knows all about why it's easier to push an empty shopping cart than a full one (physics)

Do they know more about why people forget things when they get interrupted by the telephone ringing (cog psych)

Do they know more about why when you throw a ball in the air, it comes back down (physics) phys

This expert knows all about why people sometimes fall on wet floors (physics) phys

Do they know more about why two year olds can't count very well (cog psych) cog

Do they know more about why yo-yo's come back up after you let them down (physics) phys phys

This expert knows all about why a hammer drives a nail better if you swing the hammer faster (physics)

Do they know more about why people make a shopping list when they are going shopping later (cog psych)

Do they know more about why people who jump harder on a trampoline go higher (physics) phys phys

This expert knows all about why a big, heavy boat takes a really long time to stop (physics) phys

Do they know more about why you can't understand two friends talking at the same time (cog psych)

Do they know more about why you can bounce a basketball better on the street than on grass (physics) phys

This expert knows all about why some people act like leaders and some people act like followers (social psych)

Do they know more about why when people get paint on their hands, it dries (chemistry) chem

Do they know more about why people help each other when they're in trouble (social psych) soc soc

This expert knows all about why people get angry if someone else is mean to them (social psych) soc

Do they know more about why paper burns quickly when you put a match to it (chemistry) chem

Do they know more about why you like to do some of the same things your friends like to do (social psych) soc

This expert knows all about why people sometimes fight more when they're tired (social psych) soc

Do they know more about why salt on people's icy driveways makes the ice melt sooner (chemistry)

Do they know more about why people smile at their friends when they see them (social psych) soc

This expert knows all about why people feel bad if their best friend doesn't play with them (social psych)

Do they know more about why laundry soap cleans kid's dirty clothes (chemistry) chem

Do they know more about why grown ups fall in love (social psych) soc soc