Development of Teleological Explanations in Peruvian Quechua-Speaking and U.S. English-Speaking Preschoolers and Adults

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  • Additional Information
    • Availability:
      Wiley-Blackwell. 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148. Tel: 800-835-6770; Tel: 781-388-8598; Fax: 781-388-8232; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA
    • Peer Reviewed:
      Y
    • Source:
      12
    • Sponsoring Agency:
      Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (NIH)
    • Contract Number:
      HD36043
    • Education Level:
      Higher Education
      Postsecondary Education
    • Subject Terms:
      Cultural Influences; Preschool Children; Adults; Indigenous Populations; Age Differences; Cultural Differences; Foreign Countries; Logical Thinking; College Students
    • Subject Terms:
      Peru; United States
    • Accession Number:
      10.1111/cdev.12497
    • ISSN:
      0009-3920
    • Abstract:
      Teleological reasoning involves the assumption that entities exist for a purpose (giraffes have long necks for reaching leaves). This study examines how teleological reasoning relates to cultural context, by studying teleological reasoning in 61 Quechua-speaking Peruvian preschoolers (M[subscript age] = 5.3 years) and adults in an indigenous community, compared to 72 English-speaking U.S. preschoolers (M[subscript age] = 4.9 years) and university students. Data were responses to open-ended "why" questions ("Why is that mountain tall?"). Teleological explanations about nonliving natural kinds were more frequent for children than adults, and for Quechua than U.S. participants. However, changes with age were importantly distinct from differences corresponding to cultural variation. Developmental and cultural differences in teleological explanations may reflect causal analysis of the features under consideration.
    • Abstract:
      As Provided
    • Publication Date:
      2016
    • Accession Number:
      EJ1101137