Deterministic or Probabilistic: U.S. Children's Beliefs about Genetic Inheritance
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| Title: | Deterministic or Probabilistic: U.S. Children's Beliefs about Genetic Inheritance |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | David Menendez (ORCID |
| Source: | Child Development. e186-e205 2024 95(3):e186-e205. |
| Availability: | Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 20 |
| Publication Date: | 2024 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | Institute of Education Sciences (ED) National Science Foundation (NSF) |
| Contract Number: | R305B150003 1760940 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Childrens Attitudes, Beliefs, Genetics, Probability, Color, Bias |
| DOI: | 10.1111/cdev.14053 |
| ISSN: | 0009-3920 1467-8624 |
| Abstract: | Do children think of genetic inheritance as deterministic or probabilistic? In two novel tasks, children viewed the eye colors of animal parents and judged and selected possible phenotypes of offspring. Across three studies (N = 353, 162 girls, 172 boys, 2 non-binary; 17 did not report gender) with predominantly White U.S. participants collected in 2019-2021, 4- to 12-year-old children showed a probabilistic understanding of genetic inheritance, and they accepted and expected variability in the genetic inheritance of eye color. Children did not show a mother bias but they did show two novel biases: perceptual similarity and sex-matching. These results held for unfamiliar animals and several physical traits (e.g., eye color, ear size, and fin type), and persisted after a lesson. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| IES Funded: | Yes |
| Entry Date: | 2024 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1424448 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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| Abstract: | Do children think of genetic inheritance as deterministic or probabilistic? In two novel tasks, children viewed the eye colors of animal parents and judged and selected possible phenotypes of offspring. Across three studies (N = 353, 162 girls, 172 boys, 2 non-binary; 17 did not report gender) with predominantly White U.S. participants collected in 2019-2021, 4- to 12-year-old children showed a probabilistic understanding of genetic inheritance, and they accepted and expected variability in the genetic inheritance of eye color. Children did not show a mother bias but they did show two novel biases: perceptual similarity and sex-matching. These results held for unfamiliar animals and several physical traits (e.g., eye color, ear size, and fin type), and persisted after a lesson. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0009-3920 1467-8624 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/cdev.14053 |
