Le raisonnement expérimental des pré-adolescents : stratégies de test d'hypothèses

In: Enfance, Band 35, Heft 1, S. 23-37

Abstract

The hypothesis testing strategy is studied in an experimental reasoning task, in a classroom context, with children from the age of 10 to 13.
While seeking information, about 50 % of the children build factorial experiments with at least 2 factors, on condition that the design is well defined before performing it. On the other hand, in situations where subjects can obtain results while carrying out the plan, children test a single factor at a time.
The treatment of the information is not well dominated by children when experimental results are the same in several treatment conditions under study. Moreover, when the plan is complete, it's processed like a succession of plans of 2 condition types. When data are numerous in every experimental condition, children often use a determinist frame to interpret them.