Keynotes > Andrew Shtulman

The Development of Cognitive Reflection

What do cows drink? The correct answer is water, but you may have been tempted to say milk. The disposition to override an intuitive response (milk) with an analytic response (water) is known as cognitive reflection. In adults, cognitive reflection predicts a wide range of skills and abilities. I will discuss the construction of a developmental version of the cognitive reflection test, the CRT-D. This test predicts rational thought and normative thinking dispositions in elementary-school-aged children independent of age, executive function, and cultural context. It also predicts domain-specific competencies, such as science understanding and science learning, and can be boosted with targeted instruction that encourages children to consider the adequacy of intuitive responses. These findings suggest that cognitive reflection is an ideal vantage point for studying, and improving, children’s higher-order cognition.