The Evolution of Imagination: An Archaeological Perspective

Mithen, Steven

doi:10.1353/sub.2001.0012

Cited by 22 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…They started making ornaments, and they started painting. As MITHEN (1996MITHEN ( , 2001) has argued, these activities presuppose a movement from an encapsulated kind of cognitive system -which has also been called the Swiss Army Knife model (COSMIDES and TOOBY 1994) -in which each mental tool is useful but does not interact with others, to one characterized by more interaction and cross-relation. Thus 60,000 years ago (say) our prehuman ancestors had elaborate knowledge of individuals in their social network (as discussed above) and the corresponding skills for social interaction.…”

Section: Knowledge Of Individualsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolutionary pre-adaptation and the idea of character in fiction

Oatley¹,

Mar²

2005

Journal of Cultural and Evolutionary Psychology

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Abstract. Fiction can be a means of striving towards truths, but in a way that is more abstract than the truths of everyday happenings. We offer a staircase of evolutionary pre-adaptations on which works of literature such as novels and plays depend. These include systems of mirror-neurons, mimetic ritual, conversational language based on actions, narrative structure, metaphor, and imaginary play. These enable the mental simulations that people create when they listen to, or read, stories. We argue that the abstraction of literary character is a sophisticated version of the making of mental models of others that we form routinely in conversation.

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Section: Knowledge Of Individualsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolutionary pre-adaptation and the idea of character in fiction

Oatley¹,

Mar²

2005

Journal of Cultural and Evolutionary Psychology

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“…What emerged within the theme is a proposal that by evolving a sufficiently sophisticated imagination, our capacity to develop and use a transcendental 'vision' developed. A significant evolution and enlargement of human brains (which evolutionary psychologists generally accept as taking place about 1 million years ago (e.g., [25], p. 48)) enabled us to develop theories of mind and to be able to consider our place within, whatever we then conceived as the universe. These transcendental theories led to our further evolutionary development, with 'This perception of one's individual existence in space and time…[becoming] a driving force in the evolution of the human animal.'…”

Section: Transcendencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…This had been provoked by the development of our sophisticated capacity for imagination. It may have been advantageous for us to externalise this fear in the form of artefacts ( [25], pp. 49-50), with the proliferation of these leading to the development of culture and cultural practices which involved them.…”

Section: Transcendencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…; [19][20][21][22][23]) in relation to imagination, it makes sense to explore it as specialised, self-awareness applied to personal thinking and learning and to acknowledge imagination as a critical factor in species-wide human development which enabled the emergence of consciousness of our own existence (e.g. ; [24][25][26]). Literature which is concerned with the relationship between imagination and metacognition, (except through a focus on creativity, e.g., Runco [27], Kaufman and Beghetto [28]).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Perspective Chapter: Is Metacognition ‘Just’ Imagination? Exploring the Relationship with Implications for Agency and Pedagogy

Burns

2024

Metacognition in Learning - New Perspectives

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This chapter presents research, findings and discussion which emerged from a theoretical exploration of imagination as cognition and metacognition. The researcher took a pragmatic stance in addressing a problem encountered in education practice: that an articulated understanding of ‘imagination’ is largely absent and its likely relationship with metacognition is little articulated, despite these being essential components of learning. Within an interdisciplinary approach, exploring theories across disciplines provided ideas to use in re-imagining imagination. This chapter describes and uses the model of imagination and metacognition which emerged through this process. The model suggests that imagination and metacognition are so inter-related that there is potential to consider them as one and the same, asking ‘is metacognition ‘just’ imagination?’. This question is discussed with the conclusion that it is better to acknowledge the complexity of this relationship than to reduce it to an ‘either/or’ claim. Discussion also includes consideration of a further, intrinsic relationship with personal and social agency, which led to an application of the model to inform and produce evaluative tools for a small research project: Imagination Agents. In conclusion, the chapter recommends that due to the close relationship between imagination, metacognition and agency, we should consider how to better support it within education systems where it is currently neglected.

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“…Pero tanto el enlace gené-tico entre las artes y las interacciones tempranas como el valor del cuerpo y la experiencia de "el ser movidos por" pulsos, ritmos y sentimientos en sintonía con otros se tornan cada vez más explícitos y ampliamente aceptados. En la psicología del desarrollo, en la psicología evolucionista, en la psicología de la música y en la estética evolucionista estas ideas se encuentran cómodamente asentadas, por lo menos a partir del 2000, por poner una fecha redonda (Dissanayake, 2000 a y b;Mithen, 2001Mithen, , 2006Braten, 2007;Schögler y Trevarthen, 2007;Cross, 2003;Imberty, 2002). Comenté en este punto el enlace de la actuación adulta con la poesía, en el próximo ahondaré en sus puntos de contacto con la música y con la danza desde los trabajos pioneros hasta sus formulaciones actuales.…”

Section: Las Artes Y El Habla Dirigida Al Bebé La Poéticaunclassified

Performances en la infancia: cuando el habla parece música, danza y poesía

Español

2010

Epistemus

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Performances en la infancia: cuando el habla parece música, danza, poesíaSilvia Español Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científi cas y Técnicas SILVIA ESPAÑOLPerformances en la infancia: cuando el habla parece música, danza y poesíaEl foco de este trabajo es el modo de actuar de los adultos frente a los bebés, en un momento específico: cuando el bebé ronda el medio año de vida. En primer lugar, se argumenta que, en ese momento particular, la actuación adulta, generalmente concebida como Habla Dirigida al Bebé (Infant Directed Speech), es fundamentalmente una performance de sonido y movimiento que requiere ser contemplada al modo de las artes performativas. Se describen, entonces, análisis de sonido y movimiento de la actuación adulta dirigidas a bebés de alrededor de 6 meses, con las concepciones teóricas y las herramientas de análisis propios de la música y la danza. En segundo lugar, se exponen los rasgos de la Oralidad Primaria, en particular la trama de música, danza y poesía que constituyen su habla, se sugiere que el Habla Dirigida al Bebé puede considerarse un asombroso vestigio de Oralidad Primaria y se describe el campo de exploración que esta hipótesis abre. ResumenEpistemus (ISSN 1853-0494) Performances in infancy: when speech seems music, dance and poetryThe main focus of this work is the way in which adults interact with babies in a specific moment: when the baby is about 6 months old. Firstly, it is stated that at that particular time adult performance, generally conceived as Infant Directed Speech, is fundamentally a performance of sound and movement that requires to be contemplated in the way of the Performative Arts. Analysis of sound and movement in the performance of adults when addressing babies -that are approximately 6 months oldare therefore described here by using the theoretical conceptions and analytical tools that belong to the domains of Music and Dance. Secondly, the features of Primary Orality are described, particularly the thread formed by music, dance and poetry that constitutes its speech, suggesting that Infant Directed Speech may be considered an amazing vestige of Primary Orality. A field for exploration that rises from this hypothesis is described. Abstract 59Performances en la infancia: cuando el habla parece música, danza, poesía Silvia Español

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The Evolution of Imagination: An Archaeological Perspective

Cited by 22 publications

References 14 publications

Evolutionary pre-adaptation and the idea of character in fiction

Evolutionary pre-adaptation and the idea of character in fiction

Perspective Chapter: Is Metacognition ‘Just’ Imagination? Exploring the Relationship with Implications for Agency and Pedagogy

Performances en la infancia: cuando el habla parece música, danza y poesía

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