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Three-year-olds Ability to Reason using Disjunctive Syllogism
Abstract
Logical reasoning is fundamental for human cognition, yet its developmental and evolutionary origins remain unknown. In two experiments, we investigated whether 3-year-old children can reason using disjunctive syllogism. Children (N = 73) participated in a gumball game where they helped an experimenter obtain a desired gumball. To succeed, they needed to use disjunctive syllogism to determine which of two gumball machines must or might produce the desired gumball. Results suggest a merging ability in 3-year-olds.