Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Natural and Artificial Concepts

Natural and Artificial Concepts

In psychology, concepts can be divided into two categories: natural and artificial. Natural concepts are formed through direct or indirect experiences. For example, consider the concept of snow. If you live in a place with regular snowfall, such as Essex Junction, Vermont, you know snow through direct experiences. You’ve seen it fall, touched it, shoveled it, and played in it. You recognize its texture, appearance, and even its smell. In contrast, if you live on an island like Saint...

Understanding Self-Concept

Understanding Self-Concept

The self-concept encompasses individuals' beliefs about themselves, structured through cognitive frameworks known as self-schemas. These schemas function as mental representations of specific traits or behaviors, influencing how self-relevant information is perceived, processed, and remembered. For example, individuals who are schematic for body weight are more likely to interpret routine experiences—such as dining out or shopping—through the lens of that trait. Conversely, those...

Self-Schemas

Self-Schemas

In general, a schema is a mental construct consisting of a cluster or collection of related concepts (Bartlett, 1932). There are many different types of schemata, and they all have one thing in common: schemata are a method of organizing information that allows the brain to work more efficiently. When a schema is activated, the brain makes immediate assumptions about the person or object being observed.

Concepts and Prototypes

Concepts and Prototypes

The human nervous system handles vast amounts of information by translating sensory stimuli into neural impulses, which the brain processes, creating thoughts expressed through language or stored as memories. The brain also synthesizes information from emotions and memories, which significantly influence thoughts and behaviors. This intricate process creates a comprehensive mental picture.
The brain organizes this information using concepts, which are mental categories grouping linguistic data,...

The Nativist Approach

The Nativist Approach

The nativist approach to infant cognitive development proposes that infants are born with inherent knowledge structures that allow them to interpret the world almost immediately. This perspective contrasts with earlier developmental theories, such as those proposed by Jean Piaget, which emphasized a more gradual acquisition of cognitive abilities through interaction with the environment. One key concept in this approach is object permanence — the understanding that objects continue to...

Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory

Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory

Memory is one of the most vital higher mental functions of the brain. Memory is closely related to learning because it enables us to retain information and experiences from our past to use them in our present life. It also helps us to remember facts, events, and skills, such as riding a bike or swimming. There are two types of memory — declarative memory, which involves memorizing facts or events, and procedural memory, which enables us to remember how to do something like writing or...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Autonomy, the moral circle, and the limits of ownership.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2023

Same author

Little puritans?

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2023

Same author

Expert or Esoteric? Philosophers Attribute Knowledge Differently Than All Other Academics.

Cognitive science·2020

Same author

Children's Theories of the Self.

Child development·2017

Same journal

Are language models models?

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2026

Same journal

Large language models illuminate the mechanistic underpinnings of the creative aspect of language use (CALU), long regarded as a mystery.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2026

Same journal

LLMs as a platform for studying constraint interaction: Motivation and challenges.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2026

Same journal

Beyond the data gap: Children create languages, violate their input statistics, and exhibit critical periods.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2026

Same journal

Not-so-strange love: Language models and generative linguistic theories are more compatible than they appear.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2026

Same journal

Rich data drive generalization: Lessons from machine learning for linguistics and cognitive science.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 12, 2025

The Spatial Memory Game: Testing the Relationship Between Spatial Language, Object Knowledge, and Spatial Cognition

The Spatial Memory Game: Testing the Relationship Between Spatial Language, Object Knowledge, and Spatial Cognition

Published on: February 19, 2018

Two distinct concepts of knowledge.

Christina Starmans¹

¹Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, OntarioM5S 3G3, Canada. christina.starmans@utoronto.ca.

The Behavioral and Brain Sciences

|November 19, 2021

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study argues knowledge representations are more fundamental than belief representations. By differentiating awareness from propositional knowledge, developmental and comparative data align with philosophical theories.

More Related Videos

Perspectives on Neuroscience

Perspectives on Neuroscience

Published on: July 31, 2007

Evidence-based Knowledge Synthesis and Hypothesis Validation: Navigating Biomedical Knowledge Bases via Explainable AI and Agentic Systems

Evidence-based Knowledge Synthesis and Hypothesis Validation: Navigating Biomedical Knowledge Bases via Explainable AI and Agentic Systems

Published on: June 13, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 12, 2025

The Spatial Memory Game: Testing the Relationship Between Spatial Language, Object Knowledge, and Spatial Cognition

The Spatial Memory Game: Testing the Relationship Between Spatial Language, Object Knowledge, and Spatial Cognition

Published on: February 19, 2018

Perspectives on Neuroscience

Perspectives on Neuroscience

Published on: July 31, 2007

Evidence-based Knowledge Synthesis and Hypothesis Validation: Navigating Biomedical Knowledge Bases via Explainable AI and Agentic Systems

Evidence-based Knowledge Synthesis and Hypothesis Validation: Navigating Biomedical Knowledge Bases via Explainable AI and Agentic Systems

Published on: June 13, 2025

Area of Science:

Cognitive Science
Philosophy of Mind
Developmental Psychology

Background:

The target article posits knowledge representations are more basic than belief representations.
This claim conflates distinct concepts of knowledge: awareness and propositional knowledge.
Existing philosophical literature lacks a clear distinction between these knowledge types.

Purpose of the Study:

To differentiate between "awareness" and "propositional knowledge."
To re-evaluate the claim that knowledge representations are more basic than belief representations.
To clarify the integration of developmental and comparative data within philosophical discourse.

Main Methods:

Conceptual analysis of knowledge and belief representation.
Distinction between "awareness" and "propositional knowledge."
Review of developmental and comparative psychological data.

Main Results:

Awareness and propositional knowledge are distinct cognitive constructs.
The conflation of these concepts obscures the relationship between knowledge and belief.
Distinguishing these concepts resolves apparent inconsistencies in empirical data.

Conclusions:

The distinction between awareness and propositional knowledge is crucial for understanding cognitive development.
A refined conceptual framework clarifies the foundational role of knowledge representations.
This differentiation better integrates empirical findings with philosophical theories of mind.