The psychological mechanisms that subserve inductions about novel social categories in childhood are hotly debated. While research demonstrated that language, and in particular generic statements, plays a major role in how children learn to attribute properties to social categories, developmental theories propose other mechanisms. One theoretical…

We investigate how the ability to respond appropriately to reasons provided in discourse develops in young children. In Study 1 (N = 58, Germany, 26 girls), 4- and 5-, but not 3-year-old children, differentiated good from bad reasons. In Study 2 (N = 131, Germany, 64 girls), 4- and 5-year-old children considered both the strength of evidence for…

In the discourse on children and early childhood education, the concern to 'give children a voice' has become increasingly important in recent years. The starting point for this development is the idea of a 'competent child' whose perspectives, perceptions and ideas are valuable and important. For this reason, ECE has set itself the goal of…