Reflecting on scientific thinking: children's understanding of the hypothesis-evidence relation

Ruffman, T., Perner, J., Olson, D.R. and Doherty, M. (1993) Reflecting on scientific thinking: children's understanding of the hypothesis-evidence relation. Child Development, 64 (6). pp. 1617-1636. ISSN 0009-3920

Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)

Abstract

3 experiments were carried out to examine children's understanding of the role of covariation evidence in hypothesis formation. Previous research suggested that it is not until 8 to 11 years of age that children begin to understand how a given pattern of covariation supports a particular hypothesis about which factor is causally responsible for an observed effect. Experiments 1 to 3 employed a different (fake evidence) technique than previous research and showed that by 6 years of age most children understand how evidence would lead a story character to form a different hypothesis than the subject's own. Experiment 3 showed that most 6- and young 7-year-olds understand how a character's future actions (e.g., choice of an object) and predictions of future outcomes depend on the hypothesis he or she holds.

Item Type:	Article
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Psychology
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Groups > Developmental Science Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Research Groups > UEA Experimental Philosophy Group
Related URLs:	http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?...
Depositing User:	Pure Connector
Date Deposited:	26 Oct 2015 17:00
Last Modified:	21 Jul 2025 10:19
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/54829
DOI:

Actions (login required)

View Item