The differential effects of age and first grade schooling on the development of infralogical and logico-mathematical concrete operations

Sorel Cahan*, Charles Greenbaum, Lavee Artman, Nilly Deluya, Yael Gappel-Gilon

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

20 Scopus citations

Abstract

Using the "between-grade levels" regression discontinuity design, this study examined the hypothesized differential sensitivity of logico-mathematical (LM) and infralogical (IL) operational tasks to the effects of chronological age and first grade schooling in a sample of 580 1st and 2nd grade Israeli children. The results indicate that the development of logico-mathematical operational skills (classification, class inclusion and transitivity) is mainly attributable to schooling. In contrast, the effect of schooling on the development of conservation of mass, liquid quantity and number (clearly an infralogical task) is negligible; acquisition of conservation is almost exclusively due to maturation and out-of-school experiences. The results support the theoretical predictions derived from French-Swiss research of the last two decades and are inconsistent with claims regarding the specificity of schooling effects to tasks that are taught in school.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)258-277
Number of pages20
JournalCognitive Development
Volume23
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2008

Keywords

  • Age vs. schooling effects
  • Between-grades regression discontinuity design
  • Cognitive development
  • Concrete operations

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