Help me understand: Adaptive information-seeking predicts academic achievement in school-aged children

Information-seeking after making mistakes or when experiencing uncertainty, including bids for help, is an important aspect of self-regulated learning. We compared information-seeking during a puzzle-solving task in 8- and 9-year-olds, 11- and 12-year-olds, and 16- and 17-year-olds (N = 197). We found that 8- and 9-year-olds were less efficient in their information-seeking, in that they were more likely than other age groups to seek help following a correct response. Additionally, the rate of information-seeking following an error was positively related to academic achievement, measured as Grade Point Average (GPA), above and beyond general task performance. This result was replicated in a larger and more diverse sample of 13- to 20-year-olds (N = 2,922). Overall, this research shows that information-seeking improves throughout childhood and this behaviour predicts academic success, highlighting the practical importance of this self-regulated behavior.