Reasoning Serves Argumentation in Children

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Penn collection
Goldstone Research Unit
Degree type
Discipline
Subject
reasoning
argumentation
group reasoning
collaborative learning
confirmation bias
Child Psychology
Cognition and Perception
Cognitive Psychology
Developmental Psychology
Funder
Grant number
License
Copyright date
Distributor
Related resources
Contributor
Abstract

The argumentative theory of reasoning (Mercier & Sperber, in press-c) claims that reasoning evolved for argumentation: to find and evaluate arguments in dialogic contexts. The theory has drawn most of its supportive evidence from work with adults, leaving open the possibility that argumentive features of reasoning are in fact entirely learned. Evidence is reviewed here suggesting that the special relation between reasoning and argumentation holds at all ages. More specifically, it is argued that (a) children possess at least rudimentary argument skills, (b) they are able to reap the benefits of social reasoning from very early on, (c) confirmation bias is present as soon as they start to argue, and (d) children can be victims of the same biases that affect adults when they use reasoning in the wrong contexts. These claims strengthen the argumentative theory of reasoning and support a call for more research on the interactive features of reasoning in both adults and children.

Advisor
Date Range for Data Collection (Start Date)
Date Range for Data Collection (End Date)
Digital Object Identifier
Series name and number
Publication date
2011-07-01
Journal title
Cognitive Development
Volume number
Issue number
Publisher
Publisher DOI
Journal Issue
Comments
Recommended citation
Collection