Single Idea 15691

[catalogued under 7. Existence / E. Categories / 2. Categorisation]

Full Idea

By five children assume that a variety of categories have rich inductive potential, are stable over outward transformations, include crucial nonobvious properties, have innate potential, privilege causal features, can be explained causally, and are real.

Gist of Idea

Children accept real stable categories, with nonobvious potential that gives causal explanations

Source

Susan A. Gelman (The Essential Child [2003], 06 'Intro')

Book Reference

Gelman,Susan A.: 'The Essential Child' [OUP 2005], p.136


A Reaction

This is Gelman's helpful summary of the findings of research on childhood essentialising, and says the case for this phenomenon is 'compelling'.