We propose that human social cognition is structured around a basic understanding of
ourselves and others as intuitive utility maximizers: from a young age, humans implicitly …

We propose a new version of the “theory theory” grounded in the computational framework
of probabilistic causal models and Bayesian learning. Probabilistic models allow a …

The distinction between intuitive and analytic thinking is common in psychology. However,
while often being quite clear on the characteristics of the two processes ('Type 1'processes …

This article provides a synthesis and overview of a theory of cognitive development, rational
constructivism. The basic tenets of this view are as follows:(a) Initial state: Human infants …

Attachment theory has been generating creative and impactful research for almost half a
century. In this article we focus on the documented antecedents and consequences of …

Much of learning and reasoning occurs in pedagogical situations—situations in which a
person who knows a concept chooses examples for the purpose of helping a learner …

Analogies between scientific theories and children's folk theories have been central to the
study of cognitive development for decades. In support of the comparison, numerous studies …

Psychological scientists use statistical information to determine the workings of human
behavior. We argue that young children do so as well. Over the course of a few years …

The ability to make inductive inferences from sparse data is a critical aspect of human
learning. However, the properties observed in a sample of evidence depend not only on the …

On a now orthodox view, humans and many other animals possess a “number sense,” or
approximate number system (ANS), that represents number. Recently, this orthodox view …