Young children tend to recognize that animals, plants, and artifacts (objects made by humans) are separate entities and can be divided into different categories. Their understanding about related attributes, however, develops over time. Children as young as seven months generally recognize that animals can move autonomously, and by the age of six attribute the biological property of growth to plants. Yet, because plants don't move on their own, young children have difficulty considering plants as living things.
This study compared young children's conceptual development for animal, plant, and artifact categories with adults' conceptualizations of these entities. Prior research with children tended to focus more on comparisons between animals and artifacts, with less attention to their conceptual development relating to plants. Assessments of children's knowledge in previous research generally involved a property attribution task, whereby children are asked to link a biological property (such as growth) to entities having that property. For example, children might be shown a picture of a kite and a cat and asked, “Which can grow?” This study extends that research by eliciting explanations for the property attributions by asking, for example, “How do you know the cat can grow?”
Children participating in this study were tested on seven biological properties: movement, growth, nutrition, reproduction, illness, death, and aging. They were then asked to identify which of these properties applied to animals, plants, and artifacts. For each response, they were asked “How do you know?” A total of 123 children and 24 adults participated in the study. The children (age 3-6) were tested individually in a quiet room. The adults completed the task on their own.
As expected, the children attributed biological properties to animals more often than to plants or artifacts. Older children made more correct attributions for animals and artifacts than younger children. Attributions applied to plants, however, remained constant across the age range. Adults attributed the same number of attributes to plants as to animals.
The children's attributions and accompanying explanations indicate a path of conceptual development for both plants and animals. For animals, movement and nutrition attributions were supported by perceptual explanations; the relationship between growth and nutrition supported by perceptual, biological and category membership explanations. For plants, growth -- the first property of plants mentioned by the children – was supported by perceptual and biological explanations. These findings support the idea that both conceptual information and perceptual cues influence children's conceptual development.
These findings have implications for teaching and learning about the natural world, especially in fostering a better understanding of plants. Engaging children in gardening activities may play an important role in developing this understanding.
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