Deductive reasoning develops in stages: explicit inference around ages 5-6, modus tollens around 9-10, and explicit metalogic in adolescence¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · review r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2011 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Awareness of inference first appears at about ages 5-6, when inference becomes explicit but logic remains implicit. → Demetriou 2011 q2 i? Children can deal with modus tollens inferences at about ages 9-10, and adolescents reach explicit metalogic, functioning as theorists of reasoning. → Demetriou 2011 (2)

Evidence¶

Demetriou 2011¶

Demetriou, A., Spanoudis, G., & Mouyi, A. (2011). Educating the Developing Mind: Towards an Overarching Paradigm. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-011-9178-3

q2 · i? · review · r2

The review reports developmental findings on deductive reasoning, citing Moshman 1990, 1994 and Mouyi 2008. At this stage children grasp modus ponens but fail problems requiring differentiation of logical form from content; no effect size is printed.

"This awareness appears for the first time by about the age of 5 or 6 years, when inference becomes explicit but logic is implicit."

Demetriou 2011 (2)¶

Demetriou, A., Spanoudis, G., & Mouyi, A. (2011). Educating the Developing Mind: Towards an Overarching Paradigm. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-011-9178-3

q2 · i? · theoretical · r3

The review reports that modus tollens, requiring construction and comparison of alternative models, emerges at about ages 9-10, with fallacy handling at 11-12 and explicit metalogic in adolescence. No effect size is printed.

"At the end of this phase, at the age of about 9 –10 years, children can deal with modus tollens inferences"

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Age and Developmental Stage — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes

Related Claims¶

• All student groups preferred explicit over implicit grammar instruction — related
• All student groups preferred deductive over inductive grammar instruction — related
• Explicit grammar teaching outperforms implicit teaching; one review found the advantage only for complex rules, but a meta-analysis found it for simple rules too — related