Learning-rate asymmetries between opponent types reverse across grade groups, with a non-monotonic age trend¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · causal r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Grades 1-2 and 10-12 showed higher learning rates for the low-competitive opponent, while grades 4-5 and 7-9 showed higher learning rates for the high-competitive opponent. → Zhang 2026 q2 i? Learning rates for both opponents followed non-monotonic age trends: LCO rates dipped in grades 7-9 and rose in grades 10-12; HCO rates peaked in grades 7-9. → Zhang 2026 (2)

Evidence¶

Zhang 2026¶

Zhang, R., Zhang, L., Hao, X.-M., Dreher, J.-C., & Qu, C. (2026). Learning to adaptively cooperate through social interactions during childhood and adolescence. npj Science of Learning. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-026-00423-9

q2 · i? · causal · r2

Bayesian Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Tests on winning-model hyperparameters found significant αh–αl differences in all grade groups; grades 4-5 and 7-9 had higher rates for HCO than LCO (BF10 > 100 in both).

"Specifically, children in grades 1-2 had higher learning rates when facing LCO than HCO (BF10 > 100, W = 7.08×106; HCO: M = 0.05, SD = 0.10, 95% HDI = [ 0.4×10-6, 0.234]; LCO: M = 0.09, SD = 0.03, 95% HDI = [0.026, 0.149])"

Zhang 2026 (2)¶

Zhang, R., Zhang, L., Hao, X.-M., Dreher, J.-C., & Qu, C. (2026). Learning to adaptively cooperate through social interactions during childhood and adolescence. npj Science of Learning. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-026-00423-9

q2 · i? · causal · r2

Bayesian Mann-Whitney U comparisons (grades 4-5 vs 7-9, and grades 10-12 vs both) showed LCO rates significantly higher in grades 4-5 and 10-12 than grades 7-9 (BF10 > 100); HCO rates peaked in grades 7-9, significantly above grades 4-5 and 10-12 (BF₁₀ > 100).

"We found that learning rates for LCO decreased initially and then increased with age."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• School-age children and adolescents distinguish competitive from cooperative opponents, with cooperation peaking in late childhood — related
• Preschoolers gradually learn to cooperate more with high-competitive than low-competitive opponents in the Chicken game — related
• Preschoolers' Chicken game choices are best explained by reward-based learning with a higher learning rate for the competitive opponent — related