For a 6-year old, one of the most powerful educational tools may be direct instruction, according to new research on how children learn about prejudice. Scientists found that as children get closer to age 10, they begin to rely more on their own experiences rather than what people tell them – but for youngsters, instruction trumps experience.

"Young children are information hungry – they are eagerly searching for general rules to help in mapping out their social worlds,” write Sonia Kang and Michael Inzlicht of the University of Toronto in this month's Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.  Read full press release.