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Related Experiment Videos

Evolution and devolution of folkbiological knowledge.

P Wolff1, D L Medin, C Pankratz

  • 1University of Maryland, College Park, USA. wolff@psyc.umd.edu

Cognition
|December 2, 1999
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Public knowledge of trees and nature has significantly declined in the 20th century. Analysis of historical texts reveals a decrease in the use of tree terms, indicating a loss of folkbiological knowledge.

Area of Science:

  • Ethnobotany
  • Historical Linguistics
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Folkbiological knowledge, particularly concerning trees, may have declined over time.
  • Understanding historical trends in natural world knowledge is crucial for conservation and education.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the hypothesis of declining public knowledge about trees and the natural world in the 20th century.
  • To analyze linguistic changes in tree terminology as an indicator of knowledge shifts.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of a large corpus of written material from the 16th to 20th centuries, sourced from the Oxford English Dictionary.
  • Quantitative analysis of the frequency and specificity of tree terms across different historical periods.
  • Comparison of trends in folkbiological categories with non-biological categories.

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Main Results:

  • A significant decline in the usage of tree terms was observed after the 19th century.
  • This decline occurred across all levels of biological organization for tree terms.
  • Evidence suggests an increase in tree knowledge from the 16th to 19th centuries, followed by a decline.
  • Similar declines were noted in other folkbiological categories, but not in non-biological ones.

Conclusions:

  • The study provides evidence for a substantial decline in general knowledge about trees and the natural world during the 20th century.
  • This decline represents a devolution of conceptual knowledge, contrasting with earlier periods of conceptual evolution.