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The human brain processes information for decision-making using one of two routes: an intuitive system and a rational system (Epstein, 1994; popularized by Kahneman, 2011 as System 1 and System 2, respectively). The intuitive system is quick, impulsive, and operates with minimal effort, relying on emotions or habits to provide cues for what to do next, while the rational system is logical, analytical, deliberate, and methodical. Research in neuropsychology suggests that the...
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A revisionist approach to Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development has brought new insights that challenge and reinterpret his established ideas. Piaget proposed that the formal operational stage, emerging in adolescence, represents the culmination of cognitive maturity. During this stage, individuals are said to develop abstract thinking, engage in systematic problem-solving, and show a form of egocentrism, believing others are as preoccupied with their behavior as they are...
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Psychological Reasoning in Infancy.

Renée Baillargeon1, Rose M Scott2, Lin Bian1

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois 61820; email: rbaillar@illinois.edu , linbian2@illinois.edu.

Annual Review of Psychology
|September 23, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Infants infer mental states to understand actions, using rationality principles to predict behavior. This developmental research explores the origins of psychological reasoning in early childhood.

Keywords:
agencyfalse beliefsimplicit reasoninginfant cognitionmental statespsychological reasoningrationalitytheory of mind

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Development
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Social Cognition

Background:

  • Adults infer mental states to understand actions.
  • Developmental research has advanced understanding of this ability's origins in infancy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Review advances in understanding infants' ability to infer mental states.
  • Examine how infants use rationality principles to predict and interpret actions.

Main Methods:

  • Review of developmental research on infant cognition.
  • Analysis of infant sensitivity to principles of efficiency and consistency.
  • Examination of infant agent identification and reasoning about mental states.

Main Results:

  • Infants infer agents' mental states (motivational, epistemic, counterfactual).
  • Infants use rationality principles (efficiency, consistency) to predict actions.
  • Evidence suggests infants identify novel entities as agents.

Conclusions:

  • Infants possess sophisticated abilities to reason about agents and their mental states.
  • Understanding the origins of psychological reasoning is crucial for developmental psychology.
  • Ongoing debate exists regarding implicit versus explicit psychological reasoning in infants.