title: Explaining Constrains Causal Learning in Childhood.
abstract: Three experiments investigate how self-generated explanation influences children's causal learning. Five-year-olds (N = 114) observed data consistent with two hypotheses and were prompted to explain or to report each observation. In Study 1, when making novel generalizations, explainers were more likely to favor the hypothesis that accounted for more observations. In Study 2, explainers favored a hypothesis that was consistent with prior knowledge. Study 3 pitted a hypothesis that accounted for more observations against a hypothesis consistent with prior knowledge. Explainers were more likely to base generalizations on prior knowledge. Findings suggest that attempts to explain drive children to evaluate hypotheses using features of "good" explanations, or those supporting generalizations with broad scope, as informed by children's prior knowledge and observations.
authors.affiliation: University of California, San Diego.
authors.forename: Caren M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.affiliation: University of California, Berkeley.
authors.forename: Tania
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lombrozo
authors.affiliation: Harvard University.
authors.forename: Joseph J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Carleton College.
authors.forename: Anna N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Rafferty
authors.affiliation: University of California, Berkeley.
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gopnik
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D013850:Thinking / Q000502:physiology*