Parents shape intelligence: This is how your child becomes a researcher!

Parents shape intelligence: This is how your child becomes a researcher!

A new study by the University of Vechta has shown that parents have a greater impact on the scientific thinking of their children than previously assumed. In the study that accompanied children aged six to ten years over their entire primary school, it was found that children are naturally curious and ask many questions. Christopher Osterhaus, study author and junior professor of developmental psychology, stated that children start to think scientifically at the age of six when their parents have it, as Merkur reported.

The study identified significant differences in the scientific thinking of the children, which are due to the epistemic conviction systems of the parents. These beliefs were divided into three categories: the absolutist persuasion system, in which knowledge is considered festival and unchangeable; the multiplistical persuasion system, in which knowledge as subjective and all opinions are considered to be equally valid; as well as the evaluativist persuasive system, which knowledge considers to be temporary and changeable. Children start as absolutists and develop into multiplidists in teenage; As adults, they can become evaluativists. Children whose parents are evaluativists show better skills in scientific thinking and experimenting.

Promotion of critical thinking

Osterhaus emphasized that parents should encourage their children to think critically and to question what is often neglected in schools. By asking parents questions like "Why?" you can promote your children's critical thinking. Simple everyday questions, such as the dissolution of cocoa in warm or cold milk, can be used to encourage children to experiment and research what supports the initiative to develop their scientific thinking skills.

The result of this study indicates the important role that parents play in the early development of their children's scientific thinking. A better understanding of these relationships could help develop educational approaches and to promote future intellectual development of children.

-transmitted by West-Ost-Medien