Essentialist Reasoning and Knowledge Effects on Biological Reasoning in Young Children

Autor/inn/en	Herrmann, Patricia A.; French, Jason A.; DeHart, Ganie B.; Rosengren, Karl S.
Titel	Essentialist Reasoning and Knowledge Effects on Biological Reasoning in Young Children
Quelle	In: Merrill-Palmer Quarterly: Journal of Developmental Psychology, 59 (2013) 2, S.198-220, Artikel 5 (23 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0272-930X
Schlagwörter	Logical Thinking; Knowledge Level; Age Differences; Biology; Evolution; Change; Scientific Concepts; Preschool Children; Elementary School Students; Grade 1; Child Development; Pretests Posttests; New York + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Wissensbasis; Age; Difference; Age difference; Altersunterschied; Biologie; Wandel; Pre-school age; Preschool age; Child; Children; Pre-school education; Preschool education; Vorschulalter; Kind; Kinder; Vorschulkind; Vorschulkinder; Vorschulerziehung; Vorschule; School year 01; 1. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 01; Kindesentwicklung
Abstract	Biological kinds undergo a variety of changes during their life span, and these changes vary in degree by organism. Understanding that an organism, such as a caterpillar, maintains category identity over its life span despite dramatic changes is a key concept in biological reasoning. At present, we know little about the developmental trajectory of children's understanding of dramatic life-cycle changes and how this might relate to their understanding of evolution. We suggest that this understanding is a key precursor to later understanding of evolutionary change. Two studies examined the impact of age and knowledge on children's biological reasoning about living kinds that undergo a range of natural life-span changes--from subtle to dramatic. The participants, who were 3, 4, and 7 years old, were shown paired pictures of juvenile and adult animals and asked to endorse biological or nonbiological causal mechanisms to account for life-span change. Additionally, reasoning of 3- and 4-year-old participants was compared before and after exposure to caterpillars transforming into butterflies. The results are framed in terms of a developmental trajectory in essentialist reasoning, a cognitive bias that has been associated with difficulties in understanding and accepting evolution. (Contains 1 table, 3 figures, and 1 footnote.) (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Wayne State University Press. The Leonard N. Simons Building, 4809 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201-1309. Tel: 800-978-7323; Fax: 313-577-6131; Web site: http://wsupress.wayne.edu/journals/merrill/merrillj.html
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10