Developmental
Changes in Category-Based Inferences
T. Sugimura & M. Kataoka |
Category-based
inferences were divided into two types: the downward inference which
the category terms in the conclusion are lower than those in the
premise and the upward inference which the former terms are higher
than the latter ones. Three tasks were provided for each inference.
Kindergartners, second graders, and college students were required
to answer to the conclusion statements with "Yes" or "No" and
to justify the answers. The mean number of the positive answers ("Yes")
increased with ages for the downward inference while for the upward
inference it was the largest for the 2nd graders. For the students
the mean number was significantly greater for the downward than for
the upward inferences. The findings were discussed with acquisition
and use of three types of knowledge; for the downward inference the
inclusive knowledge that the conclusion category terms are included
in the premise ones, and for the upward inference the associative
knowledge that the premise category terms are associated to the conclusion
ones and the inclusive knowledge that the conclusion category terms
include some category terms other than the premise ones.
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