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Analogical Reasoning: What Develops? A Review of Research and Theory
Author(s) -
Goswami Usha
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8624.1991.tb01511.x
Subject(s) - analogical reasoning , analogy , psychology , task (project management) , competence (human resources) , cognitive psychology , concept learning , cognitive science , epistemology , social psychology , philosophy , management , economics
Analogical reasoning in children has been measured in 2 ways, either using the classical a:b::c:d item analogy task found on IQ tests, or by asking children to solve target problems after learning about analogous problems and their solutions. Theories based on the 2 kinds of measure are discussed and the evidence for them is assessed. It is concluded that structural views of analogical development, which have traditionally suggested that analogical reasoning is late developing, are wrong. Knowledge‐based accounts of what develops are more appealing but cannot completely explain failures on analogical tasks. An account of analogical development that allows early analogical competence but that also postulates the later development of metalogical skills may provide the best account of the data.