Development in children's perceptions of epistemic authorities*

Abstract

The study examined children's perceptions of epistemic authorities in various knowledge content areas. Children from kindergarten, first and third grades were asked to rank their father, mother, teacher and friends as epistemic authorities in seven areas of knowledge contents. In general, the results showed that, with few exceptions, the perception of the parents as epistemic authorities remains stable during childhood. One or both parents were found to be the most important epistemic authorities for all the age groups in almost all the investigated areas of knowledge contents. The increased perception of friends as epistemic authority was relative to other sources in all the age groups, mostly in the social areas of knowledge. Teachers functioned as generalized epistemic authority in the early years of the elementary school.