scholarly journals The elephant in the room: What matters cognitively in cumulative technological culture

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
Author(s):  
François Osiurak ◽  
Emanuelle Reynaud
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Social Dimension ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Cognitive Mechanisms ◽  
Cognitive Approach ◽  
Technological Culture ◽  
Technical Reasoning

Abstract Cumulative technological culture (CTC) refers to the increase in the efficiency and complexity of tools and techniques in human populations over generations. A fascinating question is to understand the cognitive origins of this phenomenon. Because CTC is definitely a social phenomenon, most accounts have suggested a series of cognitive mechanisms oriented toward the social dimension (e.g., teaching, imitation, theory of mind, and metacognition), thereby minimizing the technical dimension and the potential influence of non-social, cognitive skills. What if we have failed to see the elephant in the room? What if social cognitive mechanisms were only catalyzing factors and not the sufficient and necessary conditions for the emergence of CTC? In this article, we offer an alternative, unified cognitive approach to this phenomenon by assuming that CTC originates in non-social cognitive skills, namely technical-reasoning skills which enable humans to develop the technical potential necessary to constantly acquire and improve technical information. This leads us to discuss how theory of mind and metacognition, in concert with technical reasoning, can help boost CTC. The cognitive approach developed here opens up promising new avenues for reinterpreting classical issues (e.g., innovation, emulation vs. imitation, social vs. asocial learning, cooperation, teaching, and overimitation) in a field that has so far been largely dominated by other disciplines, such as evolutionary biology, mathematics, anthropology, archeology, economics, and philosophy.

Putting social cognitive mechanisms back into cumulative technological culture: Social interactions serve as a mechanism for children's early knowledge acquisition

2020 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda S. Haber ◽  
Kathleen H. Corriveau
Keyword(s):  
Social Learning ◽  
Knowledge Acquisition ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Technical Information ◽  
Cognitive Mechanisms ◽  
Cognitive Approach ◽  
Technological Culture

Abstract Osiurak and Reynaud offer a unified cognitive approach to cumulative technological culture, arguing that it begins with non-social cognitive skills that allow humans to learn and develop new technical information. Drawing on research focusing on how children acquire knowledge through interactions others, we argue that social learning is essential for humans to acquire technical information.

scholarly journals Predictive context biases binocular rivalry in children and adults with no positive relation to two measures of social cognition

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Valuch ◽  
Louisa Kulke
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Binocular Rivalry ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Contextual Information ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Similar Degree ◽  
Eye Dominance ◽  
Adult Participants

Integration of prior experience and contextual information can help to resolve perceptually ambiguous situations and might support the ability to understand other peoples’ thoughts and intentions, called Theory of Mind. We studied whether the readiness to incorporate contextual information for resolving binocular rivalry is positively associated with Theory-of-Mind-related social cognitive abilities. In children (12 to 13 years) and adults (18 to 25 years), a predictive temporal context reliably modulated the onset of binocular rivalry to a similar degree. In contrast, adult participants scored better on measures of Theory of Mind compared to children. We observed considerable interindividual differences regarding the influence of a predictive context on binocular rivalry, which were associated with differences in sensory eye dominance. The absence of a positive association between predictive effects on perception and Theory of Mind performance suggests that predictive effects on binocular rivalry and higher-level Theory-of-Mind-related abilities stem from different neurocognitive mechanisms. We conclude that the influence of predictive contextual information on basic visual processes is fully developed at an earlier age, whereas social cognitive skills continue to evolve from adolescence to adulthood.

Roles of Technical Reasoning, Theory of Mind, Creativity, and Fluid Cognition in Cumulative Technological Culture

Human Nature ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 326-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel De Oliveira ◽  
Emanuelle Reynaud ◽  
François Osiurak
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Technological Culture ◽  
Technical Reasoning

A long view of cumulative technological culture

2020 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. O'Brien ◽  
R. Alexander Bentley
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Evolution ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Technological Culture ◽  
History Of ◽  
Reasoning Skills ◽  
Technical Reasoning

Abstract We agree that the emergence of cumulative technological culture was tied to nonsocial cognitive skills, namely, technical-reasoning skills, which allowed humans to constantly acquire and improve information. Our concern is with a reading of the history of cumulative technological culture that is based largely on modern experiments in simulated settings and less on phenomena crucial to the long-term dynamics of cultural evolution.

The castaway island: Distinct roles of theory of mind and technical reasoning in cumulative technological culture.

2020 ◽  
Vol 149 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
François Osiurak ◽  
Emmanuel De Oliveira ◽  
Jordan Navarro ◽  
Emanuelle Reynaud
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Technological Culture ◽  
Technical Reasoning

Does the bonobo have a (chimpanzee-like) theory of mind?

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Krupenye ◽  
Evan L. MacLean ◽  
Brian Hare
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Ecological Validity ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Psychological States ◽  
The Social ◽  
Theorie De L'esprit ◽  
Cognition Sociale

Theory of mind—the ability to reason about the thoughts and emotions of others—is central to what makes us human. Chimpanzees too appear to understand some psychological states. While less is known about bonobos, several lines of evidence suggest that the social-cognitive abilities of the two sister taxa may differ in key respects. This chapter outlines a framework to guide future research on bonobo social cognition based on the predictions of two potentially complementary hypotheses. The self-domestication hypothesis suggests that selection against aggression and for prosociality in bonobos may have impacted the ontogeny of their social-cognitive skills relative to chimpanzees. The empathizing–systemizing hypothesis links degree of prenatal brain masculinization, a potential result of self-domestication, to adult cognition. Specifically, relative feminization may yield more flexible theory of mind skills in bonobos than chimpanzees. Finally, directions for future study, including development of new paradigms that maximize ecological validity for bonobos, are discussed. La théorie de l’esprit—le pouvoir de raisonner les pensées et émotions des autres—est centrale à notre nature humaine. Il parait que les chimpanzés peuvent comprendre quelques états psychologiques. Tandis que nous savons moins des bonobos, plusieurs témoignages suggèrent que les capacités socio-cognitives des deux taxons soeur peuvent différer dans des aspects clefs. Nous traçons un cadre pour guider les prochaines recherches sur la cognition sociale des bonobos, basé sur les prédictions de deux hypothèses potentiellement complémentaires. L’hypothèse d’auto-domestication suggère que l’anti-agression et la prosocialité des bonobos a influé leur ontogenèse et leur capacités socio-cognitives relativement aux chimpanzés. L’hypothèse d’empathie systématique (Empathizing–Systemizing) forme un lien entre le degré de masculinisation prénatale du cerveau, le résultat potentiel d’auto-domestication, et la cognition adulte. Spécifiquement, la féminisation relative génère des théories de l’esprit plus flexibles chez les bonobos que chez les chimpanzés. Enfin, nous discutons le directions pour les prochaines études, inclut le développement de nouveaux paradigmes qui maximisent la validité écologique des bonobos.

scholarly journals Scaling of Early Social Cognitive Skills in Typically Developing Infants and Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (11) ◽  
pp. 3988-4000
Author(s):  
Katherine Ellis ◽  
Philippa Lewington ◽  
Laurie Powis ◽  
Chris Oliver ◽  
Jane Waite ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Eye Gaze ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Developmental Sequence ◽  
Shared Intentionality

Abstract We delineate the sequence that typically developing infants pass tasks that assess different early social cognitive skills considered precursors to theory-of-mind abilities. We compared this normative sequence to performance on these tasks in a group of autistic (AUT) children. 86 infants were administered seven tasks assessing intention reading and shared intentionality (Study 1). Infants responses followed a consistent developmental sequence, forming a four-stage scale. These tasks were administered to 21 AUT children (Study 2), who passed tasks in the same sequence. However, performance on tasks that required following others’ eye gaze and cooperating with others was delayed. Findings indicate that earlier-developing skills provide a foundation for later-developing skills, and difficulties in acquiring some early social cognitive skills in AUT children.

scholarly journals Reading Books and Reading Minds: Differential Effects of Wonder and The Crossover on Empathy and Theory of Mind

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 24-54
Author(s):  
Martha S. Guarisco ◽  
Celine Brooks ◽  
Louise M. Freeman
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Perspective Taking ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Sixth Graders ◽  
Young Adult Fiction ◽  
Academic Unit ◽  
Concern For Others ◽  
Before And After

We tested sixth graders for empathy and theory of mind before and after an academic unit on either Wonder or The Crossover. Wonder was associated with improved perspective-taking; students who read The Crossover increased in concern for others. Faux pas detection increased in both genders with Wonder, and in girls with The Crossover. Students who read The Crossover in print showed improved understanding of facial expressions, while students who used iPads declined. Young adult fiction is associated with improved social cognitive skills, but effects depend on gender and reading format, as well as on the choice of individual book.

scholarly journals Cooperation and human cognition: the Vygotskian intelligence hypothesis

2007 ◽  
Vol 362 (1480) ◽  
pp. 639-648 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrike Moll ◽  
Michael Tomasello
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Social Intelligence ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Social Dimension ◽  
Human Cognition ◽  
Social Cooperation ◽  
Primate Cognition ◽  
Social Competition ◽  
Social Intelligence Hypothesis ◽  
The Social

Nicholas Humphrey's social intelligence hypothesis proposed that the major engine of primate cognitive evolution was social competition. Lev Vygotsky also emphasized the social dimension of intelligence, but he focused on human primates and cultural things such as collaboration, communication and teaching. A reasonable proposal is that primate cognition in general was driven mainly by social competition, but beyond that the unique aspects of human cognition were driven by, or even constituted by, social cooperation. In the present paper, we provide evidence for this Vygotskian intelligence hypothesis by comparing the social-cognitive skills of great apes with those of young human children in several domains of activity involving cooperation and communication with others. We argue, finally, that regular participation in cooperative, cultural interactions during ontogeny leads children to construct uniquely powerful forms of perspectival cognitive representation.

scholarly journals Are “Theory of Mind” Skills in People with Epilepsy Related to How Stigmatised They Feel? An Exploratory Study

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Noble ◽  
A. Robinson ◽  
A. G. Marson
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Frontal Lobe Epilepsy ◽  
Idiopathic Generalised Epilepsy ◽  
Related Stigma ◽  
Alternative Approaches ◽  
The Mind ◽  
First Time

Feelings of stigma are one of the main burdens reported by people with epilepsy (PWE). Adults with temporal or frontal lobe epilepsy and children with idiopathic generalised epilepsy are at risk of Theory of Mind (ToM) deficits. ToM refers to social cognitive skills, including the ability to understand the thoughts, intentions, beliefs, and emotions of others. It has been proffered that ToM deficits may contribute to the feelings of stigma experienced by PWE. In this study we tested this for the first time. We also determined the association between clinical and demographic factors and ToM performance. Five hundred and three PWE were recruited via epilepsy organisations and completed measures online. Feelings of stigma were measured using Jacoby’s Stigma Scale, whilst the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test and the Faux Pas Test measured ToM. The median age of participants was 37 years, their median years living with epilepsy were 15, and 70% had experienced seizures in the prior 12 months. Feelings of stigma held a negligible, negative, and nonsignificant association with ToM performance (rs  −0.02 and-0.05). Our results indicate that the ToM model for understanding epilepsy stigma has limited utility and alternative approaches to understanding and addressing epilepsy-related stigma are required.

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