Investigating to What Degree Individual Differences in Language and Executive Function Are Related to Analogical Learning in Young Children Across Socio-Economic Populations

• Main Author: O'Neil, Lauren
• Other Authors: Baldwin, Dare
• Language: en_US
• Published: University of Oregon 2019
• Subjects: Analogical reasoning; Cognitive development; Executive function; Learning; Socioeconomic status
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1794/24562

Analogical reasoning is a foundational skill necessary for enabling learners to draw inferences about new experiences, to transfer learning across contexts, and to make abstractions based on relevant information from daily experiences. Linguistic and executive function (EF) skills may support analogical reasoning ability, as both these skill sets have previously been shown to influence other higher-order cognitive abilities, such as perspective taking. Outside influences such as socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds may also influence analogical reasoning, as they have been shown to affect other cognitive processes. At present, current research offers little information about developmental relations among SES, language, EF and analogical learning. The purpose of this dissertation research was to explore the extent to which the provision of relational language facilitates children’s analogical reasoning, and to investigate the influence of SES, executive function and language skills in regard to such facilitation. Results indicate that the use of relational language indeed aids analogical reasoning. SES significantly predicted analogical reasoning, but interestingly, this was so only when relational language was absent. These findings support that relational language plays a key role in scaffolding analogical reasoning, and this support is particularly beneficial to children whose cognitive skills may be influenced by SES.