Preschool children, elementary children and adults' models for prediciting teleological action

• Main Authors: CHENG TZU CHING, 鄭慈靜
• Other Authors: 莊麗娟
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2004
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/36819173174171927361

碩士 === 國立屏東師範學院 === 國民教育研究所 === 92 === This study means to explore three levels of people’s--preschool children, elementary children and adults--teleological actions toward animals, plants, machines and artifacts. It goes further to explore and analyze the people among three levels’ deduction models to the concept of animate. One-by-one interview is conduct in the methodology. Twenty four preschool children, and fifth-grade children and adults are the subject in interview. Each member within the three levels was examined under the following two condition：benefit-present condition and benefit-absent condition. Three primary findings are discovered in this study. First, preschool children were largely affected an animism. That is, they presume all entities can lead to teleological actions under the benefit-present condition. The fifth-grade children were little affected animism. Their reactions to teleological actions approximate adults’ mature concept to entities. Adults can clearly distinguish animate or inanimate entities. Second, preschool children tend to animatize all entities such as animals, plants, machines and artifacts. They infer the teleological behavior of every entity from either their biological or psychological egocentrism. The fifth-grade children’s explanation of teleological actions of animals and plants base on animates’ needs of surviving. They used mechanic organization or personified biological and psychological motivation to explain the movements of machines and artifacts. However, adults explain entities scientifically. They interpret the differences of animals and plants in terms of attributes and the differences of machines and artifacts in terms of physical principles. Third, preschool children employ the model of finalism to deduce the teleological action of entities. Fifth-grade children form more complicated and complex deduction models than those of the preschool children. Complexity-based teleology and biology-based teleology are two major deduction models. Adult employ biology-based teleology to interpret entity’s teleological action. This mesns adults have a full-blown concept of animate.