Logical-inferential relations in the use of connectives porque and já que: a comparative study between Elementary and Undergraduate Education

Abstract:

This paper presents a comparative study between Elementary School and Undergraduate Education investigating the use of connectives já que and porque in sentences with inferential causal relations established through inductive and deductive logical reasoning. As the acquisition of some connectives is related to schooling and consequent exposure to the written modality, this work can contribute to raising questions about the relationship between the acquisition of this modality and its influence on the way we interpret logical-inferential relations. In this paper, we present a forced-choice judgment test in which participants should choose between the connectives já que and porque when they are exposed to sentences with direct and indirect causal relationships. Our hypothesis was that, in indirect cause relationships, individuals with more experience in reading would choose já que, but individuals with little experience should choose mainly porque in both cases.

Keywords:
Logical Reasoning; Connectives; Reading; Psycholinguistics; Education