The Distinctiveness Effect in
Children’s Inferences
Tess Young
University of North Carolina Wilmington
The importance of inferences

Inferences are a mechanism for quickly
gaining knowledge about one’s world.

Social inferences lead to a greater
insight into how people understand each
other.
How do children make inductive
inferences in social situations?
Distinctiveness Effect: when presented
with 2 characteristics about a person,
adults use the more distinct
characteristic in making a decision about
that person (Nelson & Miller, 1995).
 I predict that children will show similar
results in regards to making
inferences about people.

Theoretical implications

Understanding the inferences that
children make can lead to a greater
understanding of children’s conceptual
development
Empirical implications

The Distinctiveness Effect has never
been empirically documented in children.

Knowing that children also use this
mechanism would give insight into what
children focus on when making
judgments.
Practical implications

Knowing if children use the most
distinctive trait when making judgments
about people may lead to an
understanding of stereotypes and
prejudices.
Summary
Distinctiveness Effect in children’s
inferences.
 Honors Project; Defense Spring, 2007.
