ABSTRACT
Logical reasoning involves reaching a valid conclusion on the basis of multiple premises that are assumed to be true (e.g., Johnson-Laird, 1999). Piaget (1952) proposed that logic plays a central role in mathematical development. Indeed, there is much indication that logical reasoning and mathematical skills are related, although it is not quite clear why this is the case (see Morsanyi & Szucs, 2014 for a recent review). Nunes et al. (2007) demonstrated that 6-year-old children’s understanding of some logical relationships implicated in math (e.g., the inverse relation between addition and subtraction, seriation, etc.) predicted their math achievement 16 months later, after controlling for the effect of working memory. Additionally, Nunes et al. (2007) demonstrated that training in these logical rules facilitated math learning in young children. Thus, these results demonstrate a causal link between the understanding of some basic logical rules about math and mathematical learning in young children.
