Executive functions in inductive and deductive reasoning

Abstract

Inductive reasoning and deductive reasoning share common cognitive abilities and develop substantially during childhood, but still which executive functions (EFs) underlie this development is debated. The current study assessed three EFs—working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility—and examined their interrelations and their relationship with inductive and deductive reasoning. To examine how these types of reasoning and EFs relate in young children, we recruited 155 children (4-, 6-, 8-, and 10-year-olds) to complete two reasoning tasks and three EF tasks. Inductive reasoning and deductive reasoning were directly predicted by working memory and were indirectly predicted by inhibition and cognitive flexibility. This finding sheds light on the predictive role of working memory for both inductive and deductive reasoning and provides support for the shared cognitive relation between them.