Children's early use of argumentative strategies. A study with urban marginalized population in Argentina

ROSEMBERG, C. R.; MIGDALEK, M.; STEIN, A.

Congreso; CDS 2015 Biennial Meeting; 2015

The study analyzes the argumentative strategies used by 3 to 5 year old children living in urban-marginalized populations in Buenos Aires (Argentina) during play disputes in preschool, kindergarten and family settings. We analyzed 154 disputes: 32 between 3- year-olds, 59 between 4-year-olds and 63 between 5-year-olds. We identified the use of verbal argumentative strategies -reiteration, narration, description, generalization, appeal to authority, courtesy and alternative proposition-, as well as the use of non verbal strategies for reinforcing the point of view, providing evidence, and to convince the other person. Analyzes showed that while at 3 years old children tend to merely express their point of view without the support of an argumentative strategy, at 4 years old there is a significantly increase in the use of argumentative strategies. Analyzes also showed that at kindergarten and preschool children used significantly more descriptive and generalization strategies than at home.