Causal Explanations and the Growth of Understanding

Causal explanations are central to cognitive development. Once considered beyond the grasp of young children, causal reasoning is now understood to be present in infants, driving curiosity and learning. The search for causal explanations underlying recurring patterns is evident in nonverbal forms. Causal explanations are diverse, varying in granularity, spanning different content domains, and encompassing both deterministic and probabilistic forms. These explanations support counterfactual reasoning, diagnostic thinking, and learning. The emergence of causal explanatory thought in infants is suggested by their responses to anomalies and by the development of exploratory behaviors. In the preschool years, children build upon early abilities to request, evaluate, and generate explanations. The decline of causal explanation-seeking in young schoolchildren can be dramatic and seems to arise from a convergence of social, cultural, and motivational factors. Overall, the development of causal explanations is essential to cognitive growth and mature understanding, with enduring influences on learning and reasoning.