Speakers' ages and intentions were examined as influences on children's evaluations of orally presented messages. A total of 112 third-grade children listened to one of four speakers, two women and two 9-year-old girls, presenting the same essays on videotape. Half of the children assigned to each of the four speakers were told that the speaker was trying to inform them about some topics; the other half were told that the speaker was trying to trick them. Children were asked for their evaluative responses to the essays, some of which contained internally inconsistent statements. Analyses indicated that children reported more inconsistencies with speakers described as deceptive than with speakers described as honest. Children reported more inconsistencies with adult speakers than with child speakers, although this difference was not statistically significant. Children's critical comments about the essays and speakers' presentations were also examined. The implications of social processes for children's comprehension monitoring are discussed. (Author/RH)