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. 2024 Mar 12;12(3):33.
doi: 10.3390/jintelligence12030033.

Deductive Reasoning Skills in Children Aged 4-8 Years Old

Krisztián Józsa  1   2 , Tun Zaw Oo  2   3 , Diana Borbélyová  3   4 , Judit Podráczky  2   3
Affiliations

Deductive Reasoning Skills in Children Aged 4-8 Years Old

Krisztián Józsa et al. J Intell. .

Abstract

Young children possess the fundamental deductive reasoning skills for solving their upcoming problems in their daily lives. These skills are of great importance for their school readiness and academic development. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the age differences and predictive variables of deductive reasoning skills in young Hungarian children aged 4-8 years old who reside in Hungary and Slovakia. Face-to-face data were collected from 3050 participants. The instrument of deductive reasoning skills assessment was extracted from the school readiness test, DIFER (Diagnostic System for Assessing Development). Utilizing various statistical analyses with R, AMOS, and MPlus8 packages, it was found that there were significant differences in young children's deductive reasoning skills across countries and age groups. Parents' education levels had significant positive relationships with children's deductive reasoning skills development. And the variables of country and age were identified as significant predictors of children's deductive reasoning skills. And children's family background variables such as parental education played a significant role in predicting children's deductive reasoning skills in Hungary. The implications of this study emphasize the importance of educational contexts, parental involvement, cross-cultural exchange, and further research, with the potential to enhance young children's educational experiences and prospects in Hungary, Slovakia, and beyond.

Keywords: DIFER; cross-cultural study; deductive reasoning; family background; gender; young children.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
An example of a deductive reasoning task.
Figure 2
Figure 2
CFA model for deductive reasoning skills assessment (N = 3050).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Comparison of deductive reasoning skills between countries (NSlovakia = 1609, NHungary = 1441).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Comparison of deductive reasoning skills between genders (Nmale = 1641, Nfemale = 1409).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Comparison of deductive reasoning skills between genders for both countries (Nmale/Slovakia = 779, Nfemale/Slovakia = 830; Nmale/Hungary = 862, Nfemale/Hungary = 579).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Comparison of deductive reasoning skills by the age groups (N4th year = 282. N5th year = 652, N6th year = 832, N7th year = 690, N8th year = 594).
Figure 7
Figure 7
Comparison of deductive reasoning skills by the age groups (N4th year (Hungary,Slovakia) = 123, 159. N5th year (Hungary,Slovakia) = 282, 370, N6th year (Hungary/Slovakia) = 403, 429, N7th year (Hungary,Slovakia) = 339, 351, N8th year (Hungary,Slovakia) = 294, 300).
Figure 8
Figure 8
Comparison of deductive reasoning skills between two countries by gender (Nmale (Slovakia, Hungary) = 779, 862; Nfemale (Slovakia, Hungary) = 830, 579).
Figure 9
Figure 9
Comparison of deductive reasoning skills between countries by the age groups (N4th year (Hungary,Slovakia) = 123, 159, N5th year (Hungary,Slovakia) = 282, 370, N6th year (Hungary/Slovakia) = 403, 429, N7th year (Hungary,Slovakia) = 339, 351, N8th year (Hungary,Slovakia) = 294, 300).
Figure 10
Figure 10
The prediction model of background variables on deductive reasoning skills development (N = 3050).
Figure 11
Figure 11
The prediction model of background variables on deductive reasoning skills development in Hungary (N = 1441).
Figure 12
Figure 12
The prediction model of background variables effects on deductive reasoning skills development in Slovakia (N = 1609).
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