@inproceedings{ae0809082767494c997f4c06bba7b9f2,
title = "Explaining Influences Children{\textquoteright}s Reliance on Evidence and Prior Knowledge in Causal Induction",
abstract = "In two studies, we examine how prompting 5- and 6-year-olds to explain observed outcomes influences causal learning. In Study 1, children were presented with data consistent with two causal regularities. Explainers outperformed controls in generalizing the regularity that accounted for more observations. In Study 2, this regularity was pitted against an alternative that accounted for fewer observations but was consistent with prior knowledge. Explainers were less likely than controls to generalize the regularity that accounted for more observations. These findings suggest that explaining drives children to favor causal regularities that they expect to generalize, where current observations and prior knowledge both provide cues.",
keywords = "abduction, causal reasoning, cognitive development, Explanation, generalization, prior knowledge",
author = "Walker, {Caren M.} and Williams, {Joseph Jay} and Tania Lombrozo and Alison Gopnik",
note = "Funding Information: Thanks to Anna Akullien, Brynna Ledford, Sierra Eisen, and Rosie Aboody, the UC Berkeley Early Childhood Centers, Lawrence Hall of Science, and Habitot. Research supported by a McDonnell Foundation grant to A. Gopnik and NSF grant DRL-1056712 to T. Lombrozo. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} CogSci 2012.All rights reserved.; 34th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society: Building Bridges Across Cognitive Sciences Around the World, CogSci 2012 ; Conference date: 01-08-2012 Through 04-08-2012",
year = "2012",
language = "English (US)",
series = "Building Bridges Across Cognitive Sciences Around the World - Proceedings of the 34th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, CogSci 2012",
publisher = "The Cognitive Science Society",
pages = "1114--1119",
editor = "Naomi Miyake and David Peebles and Cooper, {Richard P.}",
booktitle = "Building Bridges Across Cognitive Sciences Around the World - Proceedings of the 34th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, CogSci 2012",
}