ERIC Number: EJ1481900
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Jul
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1522-7227
EISSN: EISSN-1522-7219
Available Date: 2025-07-15
How Linguistic Labels and Objects Types Shape Inductive Reasoning in Chinese Preschool Children Aged 3 to 5 Years
Yuan Liang1,2; Jie Yan3; Yan Li4; Ying Xiao5; Hao Yan1,2
Infant and Child Development, v34 n4 e70033 2025
This study investigated inductive reasoning abilities in 3-5-year-old children across perceptual similarity and linguistic label conditions. Sixty-five typically developing children aged 3 to 5 participated in reasoning tasks involving natural and artificial targets. In the experimental design, children learned two contrasting characteristics associated with distinct individuals and were then asked to identify which attribute applied to a subsequent test stimulus. The comparative framework utilised dual reference points: one sharing identical linguistic labels with the target while displaying distinct property characteristics, and another maintaining property similarities to the target but differing in label information. Results demonstrated that linguistic labels enhanced children's inductive reasoning, particularly with natural objects. Children encountered greater challenges with inductive reasoning when presented with artificial objects. By age 5, participants exhibited significant cognitive development, transitioning from perceptual similarity-based reasoning to more sophisticated category-based conceptualisation. This progression represents a qualitative transformation in reasoning capabilities, marking a critical developmental milestone in early cognitive processing.
Descriptors: Preschool Children, Foreign Countries, Logical Thinking, Thinking Skills, Language, Classification, Cognitive Processes, Cognitive Development
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www-wiley-com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: China
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Key Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Neuroscience of Language, Xi'an International Studies University, Xi'an, China; 2Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Language and Brain Sciences and Intelligent Speech Rehabilitation, Xi’an International Studies University, Xi'an, China; 3The Criminal Investigation Bureau of Xi'an Public Security Bureau, Xi'an, China; 4Shengshi Chang'an Multicolored Kindergarten, Xi'an, China; 5Lan Guan Street Central School, Lantian County, Xi'an, China

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