Cross-cultural variation in the development of folk ecological reasoning

Two studies examined children's reasoning about biological kinds in populations that vary in formal education and direct experience with the natural world, a Western (urban U.S.) and a Non-Western population (Tanna, Vanuatu). Study 1 examined children's concepts of ecological relatedness between species (N  = 97, 5–13-year-olds). U.S. children provided more taxonomic explanations than Ni-Vanuatu children, who provided more ecological, physiological, and utility explanations than U.S. children. Ecological explanations were most common overall, and more common among older than younger children acr oss cultures.

Source: Evolution and Human Behaviour - February 15, 2018 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Justin T.A. Busch, Rachel E. Watson-Jones, Cristine H. Legare Source Type: research