The Development of Cognitive Reflection in China
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-1-2021
Abstract
Cognitive reflection is the tendency to override an intuitive response so as to engage in the reflection necessary to derive a correct response. Here, we examine the emergence of cognitive reflection in a culture that values nonanalytic thinking styles, Chinese culture. We administered a child-friendly version of the cognitive reflection test, the CRT-D, to 130 adults and 111 school-age children in China and compared performance on the CRT-D to several measures of rational thinking (belief bias syllogisms, base rate sensitivity, denominator neglect, and other-side thinking) and normative thinking dispositions (actively open-minded thinking and need for cognition). The CRT-D was a significant predictor of rational thinking and normative thinking dispositions in both children and adults, as previously found in American samples. Adults’ performance on the CRT-D correlated with their performance on the original CRT, and children's performance on the CRT-D predicted rational thinking and normative thinking dispositions even after adjusting for age. These results demonstrate that cognitive reflection, rational thinking, and normative thinking dispositions converge even in a culture that emphasizes holistic, nonanalytic reasoning.
DOI
10.1111/cogs.12966
Publication Title
Cognitive Science
Volume Number
45
Issue Number
4
ISSN
03640213
Recommended Citation
Gong, Tianwei; Young, Andrew G.; and Shtulman, Andrew, "The Development of Cognitive Reflection in China" (2021). Psychology & Gerontology Faculty Publications. 43.
https://neiudc.neiu.edu/psyc-pub/43
