Exploring the capability to reason backwards: An experimental study with children, adolescents, and young adults

Jeannette Brosig-Koch, Timo Heinrich () and Christoph Helbach

European Economic Review, 2015, vol. 74, issue C, 286-302

Abstract: This is the first study investigating the development of the capability to reason backwards in children, adolescents, and young adults aged 6 to 23 under controlled laboratory conditions. The experimental design employs a modified version of the race game. As in the original game, subjects need to apply backward analysis in order to solve the games. We find that subjects’ capability to reason backwards improves with age, but that this process systematically differs across genders. Our repetition of the games indicates that differences exist also in learning between age groups and across genders.

Keywords: Backward analysis; Learning; Age effects; Experimental economics; Children (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C72 C91 J13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (18)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:eecrev:v:74:y:2015:i:c:p:286-302

DOI: 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2014.12.003

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