Domains and naïve theories

Abstract

Human cognition entails domain-specific cognitive processes that influence memory, attention, categorization, problem-solving, reasoning, and knowledge organization. This review examines domain-specific causal theories, which are of particular interest for permitting an examination of how knowledge structures change over time. We first describe the properties of commonsense theories, and how commonsense theories differ from scientific theories, illustrating with children's classification of biological and non-biological kinds. We next consider the implications of domain-specificity for broader issues regarding cognitive development and conceptual change. We then examine the extent to which domain-specific theories interact, and how people reconcile competing causal frameworks. Future directions for research include examining how different content domains interact, the nature of theory change, the role of context (including culture, language, and social interaction) in inducing different frameworks, and the neural bases for domain-specific reasoning.Human cognition has classically been understood in terms of domain-general processes such as perception, attention, memory, categorization, logical reasoning, and associative learning. These processes apply broadly across knowledge domains, reflecting psychological principles that transcend content. For example, there is a domain-general constraint on shortterm memory such that when presented with a new list of items, people can recall only 7±2 pieces of information, regardless of whether the items on the list are numbers, chess pieces, or Pokémon characters [1]. Discovering general principles of cognition is an important goal of research.Although domain-general processes are fundamental, they cannot provide a complete portrait of human thought. Cognitive processes and their developmental paths are highly uneven across domains. For example, consider the stark contrast between learning language and learning calculus. Most children master the principles of syntax within the first five years of life, whereas vanishingly few children learn calculus during that period. These different developmental paths do not reflect a simple difference in the complexity or difficulty of syntax versus calculus, because syntax is actually acquired more easily in childhood than adulthood, whereas calculus shows the reverse (and more typical) developmental pattern. More generally, although many types of knowledge are acquired more easily by adults than children (including higher mathematics, political and legal systems, medical treatment of disease, or historical forces affecting social movements), other types of knowledge are acquired more easily in childhood than adulthood (such as syntax, phonology, perhaps music), and even demonstrate a sensitive period of learning in childhood [2]. Thus, the process of learning requires consideration of the content of what is being learned. Importance of domain-specific knowledgeDomain-specific content knowledge influences a vast scope of cogni...

Categories convey prescriptive information across domains and development

“…Broadly, the idea that prescriptive reasoning emerges from processes unique to the social domain is consistent with general findings of domain differences in early category structure (Gelman & Noles, 2011;Rhodes & Gelman, 2009). For instance, whereas children view social categories as prescribing what people ought to do (Kalish & Lawson, 2008;Roberts et al 2017a;Rhodes & Chalik, 2013), animal categories often appear to serve a more descriptive function, allowing children to build up knowledge of the biological world by generalizing what they learn about one animal (e.g., a particular dog) to all members of the category (e.g., dogs in in general).…”

Trust into Collective Privacy? The Role of Subjective Theories for Self-Disclosure in Online Communication

“…Such theories then constitute frameworks or mindsets on whose basis all further perceptions and judgments may be grounded [27]. In comparison to scientific theories however, subjective theories are rarely formal or coherent, and emphasize causal relationships which are rarely systematically tested in everyday life [28]. In the following, we will first discuss on which kinds of experiences subjective theories about online privacy may be built.…”

Ad revolution or evolution? Typical ad representation and general ad attitudes influence the effectiveness of branded content

“…At the same time, consumer B thinks that the purpose of humor in the ads is to catch the viewers' attention without trying to manipulate them, therefore their purchase intent will not be negatively affected. and behavior related to an object, and they have the power to explain object-related phenomena (Gelman and Noles, 2011;Furnham, 1988). They also provide an explanation of how seemingly contradictory beliefs interact to influence consumer behavior.…”

“…limited experience and specific examples and (7) lack of systematic verification and feedback (Furnham, 1988;Gelman and Noles, 2011;Kiss, 2003). Naïve theories regularly establish an incorrect causal relationship between two correlating observations.…”