Evidence for the Understanding of Class Inclusion in Preschool Children: Linguistic Factors and Training Effects

Abstract

SIEGEL, LINDA S.; McCABE, ANNE E.; BRAND, JuDrmH; and MATTHEWS, JANET. Evidence for the Understanding of Class Inclusion in Preschool Children: Linguistic Factors and Training Effects. CmLD DEVELOPMENT, 1978, 49, 688-693. 3and 4-year-old children were given tests of class inclusion reasoning using a standard Piagetian question format or an altered version which used no relational terminology. Many children were unable to solve the class inclusion problem in the traditional format but were able to do so in the altered version. Approximately half of the children received training in class inclusion reasoning. The remainder served as a control group and were administered the same questions as the training group but with no feedback about the correctness of their answers. In the posttest, the training group correctly answered more class inclusion questions than the control group. Thus, preschool children's failure to reason logically may be a result of immature language competence, not lack of reasoning skills. Theories which postulate inadequate logical reasoning in the young child appear to have limited generality.