Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Counterfactual Thinking01:19

Counterfactual Thinking

413
Counterfactual thinking is a cognitive process wherein individuals mentally reconstruct alternative versions of past events, often beginning with “what if” or “if only.” This reflective mechanism plays a significant role in shaping emotional experiences and guiding future behavior. Though typically triggered by unfavorable or unexpected outcomes, counterfactual thinking can also emerge in mundane, everyday decisions and experiences, revealing its deep entrenchment in...
413
Deductive Reasoning01:16

Deductive Reasoning

71.8K
Deductive reasoning, or deduction, is the type of logic used in hypothesis-based science. In deductive reasoning, the pattern of thinking moves in the opposite direction as compared to inductive reasoning, which means that it uses a general principle or law to predict specific results. From those general principles, a scientist can deduce and predict the specific results that would be valid as long as the general principles are valid.
For example, a researcher can deduce specific predictions...
71.8K
Inductive Reasoning00:59

Inductive Reasoning

69.5K
Inductive reasoning is a form of logical thinking that uses related observations to arrive at a general conclusion. It is uncertain and operates in degrees to which the conclusions are credible. As such, inductive arguments can be weak or strong, rather than valid or invalid, and conclusions can be used to formulate testable, falsifiable hypotheses.
Inductive reasoning is common in descriptive science. A life scientist makes observations and records them. This data can be qualitative or...
69.5K
Reasoning01:30

Reasoning

536
Reasoning is the action of thinking about something in a logical, sensible way. It is integral to problem-solving, decision-making, and critical thinking. Reasoning can be inductive or deductive. Reasoning involves transforming information into conclusions, which is essential for problem-solving, decision-making, and critical thinking.
Inductive reasoning involves deriving generalizations from specific observations. This type of reasoning helps form beliefs about the world. For example,...
536
Piaget's Stage 2 of Cognitive Development01:14

Piaget's Stage 2 of Cognitive Development

1.3K
The preoperational stage, the second of Jean Piaget's four stages of cognitive development, spans approximately ages 2 to 7 and is characterized by the emergence of symbolic thinking. During this stage, children use language, images, and symbols to represent objects and concepts, enabling them to engage in imaginative and pretend play. This symbolic thinking supports children's ability to perform make-believe actions, such as imagining a broom as a horse or their hand as a phone, blending...
1.3K
Observational Learning01:12

Observational Learning

1.4K
Albert Bandura's observational learning, also known as imitation or modeling, occurs when a person observes and imitates another's behavior. It is a quicker process than operant conditioning. A well-known example is the Bobo doll study, where children who saw an adult acting aggressively towards the doll were more likely to act aggressively when left alone, compared to those who observed a nonaggressive adult. Many psychologists view observational learning as a form of latent learning...
1.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Comprehension of "can" predicts performance on a nonverbal measure of modal concepts at 48 but not 36 months.

Child development·2026
Same author

Children require more evidence to revise beliefs under gradual perceptual change.

Psychological research·2026
Same author

Reflective belief revision before the age of reason.

Journal of experimental child psychology·2026
Same author

Adults show selective responses to unreliability based on the strength of counterevidence.

PloS one·2025
Same author

Computational Approaches Reveal Developmental Shifts in Exploratory Play.

Developmental science·2025
Same author

Children's reasoning strategies on call and Tomasello's nonverbal false belief test: no sign of false-belief reasoning.

Journal of experimental child psychology·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 16, 2026

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm
06:35

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm

Published on: April 28, 2016

35.9K

Basic Conditional Reasoning: How Children Mimic Counterfactual Reasoning.

Brian Leahy1, Eva Rafetseder2, Josef Perner3

  • 1Department of Linguistics, Universiẗat Konstanz, Fach D-185, 78457, Konstanz, Germany, brian.leahy@uni-konstanz.de.

Studia Logica
|March 3, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Children use basic conditional reasoning (BCR) for story counterfactuals, unlike adults' advanced counterfactual reasoning (CFR). BCR involves dropping nonpermanent story details, while CFR preserves story elements when revising reality.

Keywords:
Basic Conditional ReasoningCounterfactual ReasoningCounterfactualsGeneric reasoningPossible worlds semantics

More Related Videos

Exploring the Role of Deontic Reasoning and World Knowledge in Wason´s Selection Task
06:08

Exploring the Role of Deontic Reasoning and World Knowledge in Wason´s Selection Task

Published on: July 22, 2025

1.2K
An Experimental Analysis of Children's Ability to Provide a False Report about a Crime
07:36

An Experimental Analysis of Children's Ability to Provide a False Report about a Crime

Published on: May 3, 2016

9.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 16, 2026

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm
06:35

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm

Published on: April 28, 2016

35.9K
Exploring the Role of Deontic Reasoning and World Knowledge in Wason´s Selection Task
06:08

Exploring the Role of Deontic Reasoning and World Knowledge in Wason´s Selection Task

Published on: July 22, 2025

1.2K
An Experimental Analysis of Children's Ability to Provide a False Report about a Crime
07:36

An Experimental Analysis of Children's Ability to Provide a False Report about a Crime

Published on: May 3, 2016

9.1K

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Linguistics

Background:

  • Children's reasoning about hypothetical scenarios differs from adults.
  • Previous research identified "Basic Conditional Reasoning" (BCR) in children, distinct from adult "Counterfactual Reasoning" (CFR).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the differences between children's BCR and adult CFR.
  • To analyze how consistency is achieved when counterfactuals conflict with story elements.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a distinction between permanent and nonpermanent story features.
  • Applied Lewis/Stalnaker counterfactual logic principles.

Main Results:

  • Children employing BCR tend to discard all nonpermanent story features when reasoning counterfactually.
  • Adults employing CFR strive to maintain maximal story consistency while accommodating the counterfactual antecedent.

Conclusions:

  • The key distinction lies in how reasoners handle inconsistencies between counterfactuals and nonpermanent story elements.
  • CFR demonstrates a more sophisticated ability to revise and maintain narrative coherence under hypothetical conditions compared to BCR.