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Mental Models in Conceptual Development

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Model-Based Reasoning

Abstract

Models are important in science because they can be used as instruments to help in the construction of theories. They are the sources of both predictive and explanatory power and can be used to suggest new hypotheses and aid in scientific discovery. In this paper I argue that the mental models that children construct also have predictive and explanatory power and can be used as mediating mechanisms for the revision of existing theories and the construction of new ones.

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© 2002 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Vosniadou, S. (2002). Mental Models in Conceptual Development. In: Magnani, L., Nersessian, N.J. (eds) Model-Based Reasoning. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0605-8_20

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0605-8_20

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-5154-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-0605-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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