Children and wilful ignorance

While the drive to acquire knowledge is a hallmark of human cognition, individuals frequently choose to avoid information—a phenomenon known as wilful ignorance. While extensively studied in adults, little is known about its developmental origins. We identify from the literature two distinct developmental pathways for the emergence of wilful ignorance behaviours. We then propose a graded framework to assess children's motivations for information avoidance, accounting for epistemic, emotional, and instrumental trade-offs. Gaining a deeper understanding of the emergence and the development of wilful ignorance not only enriches the theoretical discussions but also empowers educators, policy makers, and health professionals to craft strategies and interventions that are better suited to the needs and capacities of younger populations.