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Associative symmetry: a divide between humans and nonhumans?
Thomas F Chartier1, Joël Fagot1
1Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive, CNRS & Aix-Marseille Université, UMR 7290, Bâtiment 9 Case D, 3 place Victor Hugo, 13331 Marseille Cedex 3, France; Station de Primatologie, CNRS-Celphedia, UPS 846, 13790 Rousset-sur-Arc, France.
Abstract:
Anthropocentrism can bias scientific conclusions. As a case study, we challenge the 40-year-old associative symmetry dogma, supposed to cognitively set apart humans from other species. Out of 37 human studies surveyed, only three truly demonstrate symmetry, of which only one (on five participants) suggests that symmetry is spontaneously formed.
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