Reasoning in Middle Childhood: A Dynamic Model of Performance on Transitivity Tasks

Rabinowitz, F. Michael; Grant, Malcolm J.; Howe, Mark L.; Walsh, Carolyn J.

doi:10.1006/jecp.1994.1035

Cited by 35 publications

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“…Only at age 8 years did children now consistently choose the correct item (A) regardless of whether filler-blocks were used or not (overall three-term performance = 76%). Ameel, Verschueren and Schaeken (2007) confirmed similar levels for 8 year-olds in two separate Transitivity for Height v Speed 9 experiments, but also concluded that deductive-transitive-inference development is still not complete at age 8 (Kallio, 1988;Rabinowitz et al, 1994; (Breslow, 1981). Put another way, training is used to give the participant a head start on the exact problems s/he will face during test trials.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Perhaps one of the most basic forms of deductive inference-making both in adults and in children is Transitive Reasoning (Bara, Bucciarelli & Lombardo, 2000;Halford, Wilson & Phillips, 1998;Lazareva & Wasserman, 2010). A child is said to possess transitive reasoning when he or she can deduce a latent relationship between two items (say A and C), after being given information about the relationship of each of these items to a third item (B) that just happens to be intermediate between the other two in some respect (Lee & Freire, 2003;Rabinowitz, Grant, Howe & Walsh, 1994).Our transitive reasoning capacity is said to be important for acquiring many cognitive concepts (see Krackhardt & Kilduff, 1999). It is also an integral part of children's educational progression, such that "in history class, one has to determine which event or personality preceded another; in geography, altitudes are represented by different colors; in geometry, measurement operations are performed;..." (Artman & Cahan, 1993, pp.753).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…4, Finally, we wanted to use a paradigm offering specifically 4 year-olds every opportunity to show their transitive deductive capacity but which did not risk giving them "non-logical" cues to the correct answers (Riley & Trabasso, 1974;Wright & Dowker, 2002). Additionally, we wanted to assess the view emerging from virtually every relevant study of the past 20 years, that deductive transitive reasoning does not reach a level indicative of competence until after 6 years (Ameel et al, 2007;Artman & Cahan, 1993;Markovits et al, 1995;Markovits & Dumas, 1999;Rabinowitz et al, 1994;Wright, 2006a). …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additionally, we wanted to assess the view emerging from virtually every relevant study of the past 20 years, that deductive transitive reasoning does not reach a level indicative of competence until after 6 years (Ameel et al, 2007;Artman & Cahan, 1993;Markovits et al, 1995;Markovits & Dumas, 1999;Rabinowitz et al, 1994;Wright, 2006a).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Transitivity for height versus speed: To what extent do the under-7s really have a transitive capacity?

Wright

Robertson

Hadfield

2011

Thinking & Reasoning

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Transitive inference underpins many human reasoning competencies. The dominant task (the "Extensive-Training-Paradigm") employs many items and large amounts of training, instilling an ordered series in the reasoner's mind. But findings from an alternative "3-Term-Paradigm" suggest transitivity is not present until 7+ years. Interestingly, a second alternative paradigm (the "Spatial-Task"), using simultaneously-displayed height relationships to form premise-pairs, can uphold the 4 year estimate. However, this paradigm risks cuing children and hence is problematic. We investigated whether a height-task variant might correspond to a more ecologically-valid 3-term task. 222 4-6 year-olds either completed a modified height task, including an increased familiarisation phase, or a computer-animated task about cartoon characters running a race in pairs. Findings confirmed both tasks were functionally identical.Crucially, 4 year-olds were at chance on both; whereas 6 year-olds performed competently. These findings contrast with estimates from all three paradigms considered. A theoretical evaluation of our tasks and procedures against previous ones, leads us to 2 conclusions. First, our estimate slightly amends the 7-year estimate offered by the 3-Term-Paradigm, with the difference explained in terms of its greater relevance to child experiences. Second, our estimate can coexist alongside the 4-year estimate from the Extensive-Training-Paradigm. This is because, applying a recently developed "Dual-Process" conception of reasoning, anticipates that extensive-training benefits a species-general Associative System, whilst the Spatial-Paradigm and 3-Term-Paradigm can potentially index a genuinely-Deductive System which has always been the target of transitive research. Deduction allows us to engage in quite complex problem-solving activities, but may sometimes form part of more routine unconscious or automatic thinking (Deneault & Ricard, 2006;Klaczynski, 2009;Muller, Sokol & Overton, 1999). Perhaps one of the most basic forms of deductive inference-making both in adults and in children is Transitive Reasoning (Bara, Bucciarelli & Lombardo, 2000;Halford, Wilson & Phillips, 1998;Lazareva & Wasserman, 2010). A child is said to possess transitive reasoning when he or she can deduce a latent relationship between two items (say A and C), after being given information about the relationship of each of these items to a third item (B) that just happens to be intermediate between the other two in some respect (Lee & Freire, 2003;Rabinowitz, Grant, Howe & Walsh, 1994).Our transitive reasoning capacity is said to be important for acquiring many cognitive concepts (see Krackhardt & Kilduff, 1999). It is also an integral part of children's educational progression, such that "in history class, one has to determine which event or personality preceded another; in geography, altitudes are represented by different colors; in geometry, measurement operations are performed;..." (Artman & Cahan, 1993, pp.753). Transitivity even features i...

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Transitivity for height versus speed: To what extent do the under-7s really have a transitive capacity?

Wright

Robertson

Hadfield

2011

Thinking & Reasoning

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Memory Development

Howe

2015

Handbook of Child Psychology and Developmental Science

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Unlike the traditional view of memory development that dominated researchers' agendas throughout the 20th century, the current chapter is focused on research that has defined theoretical advances in the early 21st century. The chapter begins with a brief review of the earlier 20th‐century views about memory development and then turns to three additional issues that have enjoyed a renewed interest early in the 21st century. The first issue changes the theoretical focus from questions about the structure of memory and its development to one about the (adaptive) function of memory. What the research shows is that at least some of the functional attributes of memory include the extraction of meaning, binding information into regular patterns, and using these patterns to predict future outcomes. The second issue addressed in this chapter concerns how these adaptive memory systems develop. To answer this question, I review recent research that has examined correlated changes in neurobiological and cognitive functioning. The final issue concerns whether we share these adaptive memory developments with other animals. The answer to this is found by reviewing the comparative memory development literature. Overall, this adaptive view of memory suggests that it develops not simply to remember one's past, but to understand the present, and anticipate the future.

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Reconceptualizing the Transitive Inference Ability: A Framework for Existing and Future Research

Wright

2001

Developmental Review

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Reasoning in Middle Childhood: A Dynamic Model of Performance on Transitivity Tasks

Cited by 35 publications

References 0 publications

Transitivity for height versus speed: To what extent do the under-7s really have a transitive capacity?

Transitivity for height versus speed: To what extent do the under-7s really have a transitive capacity?

Memory Development

Reconceptualizing the Transitive Inference Ability: A Framework for Existing and Future Research

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