> we asked 576 children, ages four to nine, to predict the behavior of two kids in a story. One of the characters genuinely wanted to be smart, and the other me

> we asked 576 children, ages four to nine, to predict the behavior of two kids in a story. One of the characters genuinely wanted to be smart, and the other merely wanted to seem smart to others. [...] > When children themselves are the ones struggling, it seems quite possible they, too, might avoid seeking out help when others are present, given our findings. Their reluctance could seriously impede academic progress. There's another side to the issue of “reputational” expectations which I've seen too many times in academic situations: People who only ask questions in order to look smart rather than to learn something. They know the answer, or at least think they do, and ask an inexperienced grad student a question about their area of expertise, even if it is at best tangential to the topic. That opposite process also can impede progress, since it tends to drown out genuine questions and less is learned in the process. Rarely do such questions enrich the conversation the way that a good “naïve” question does.