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Language as a mechanism for reasoning about possibilities.
Myrto Grigoroglou1, Patricia A Ganea2
1Department of Linguistics, Cognitive Science Program, University of Toronto, Sidney Smith Hall, 4th floor, 100 St George Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G3.
Summary
Human reasoning about possibilities, like disjunctive syllogism, may depend on language acquisition. This study explores the developmental link between logical language and cognitive abilities in children.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Developmental Psychology
- Linguistics
Background:
- Human reasoning involves contemplating possibilities, a key aspect of cognition.
- The origin of this reasoning, particularly its relationship with language, remains a significant debate in cognitive science.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the developmental relationship between language and the ability to reason about possibilities.
- To explore how children acquire logical and modal language and how this relates to their capacity for disjunctive syllogism.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing developmental literature on children's reasoning, specifically disjunctive syllogism.
- Examination of evidence concerning the acquisition of logical and modal language in children.
- Synthesis of findings to propose an interaction model between language and thought.
Main Results:
- Disjunctive syllogism, a form of possibility reasoning, has demonstrable links to linguistic development.
- Children's acquisition of logical and modal language appears intertwined with their developing reasoning skills.
Conclusions:
- Language acquisition plays a crucial role in the development of human reasoning about possibilities.
- A proposed model outlines the interaction between linguistic and conceptual representations during cognitive development.
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