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Childhood essentialism.

Susan A Gelman1

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.

Advances in Child Development and Behavior
|September 5, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Childhood essentialism, the belief in underlying realities of categories, develops early. While aiding cognition, it can lead to stereotyping and prejudice.

Keywords:
ChildrenCognitive developmentCultureEssentialismGenericsLanguageSocial cognition

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Development
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Social Cognition

Background:

  • Essentialism posits that categories possess an underlying reality beyond superficial traits.
  • Childhood essentialism offers crucial insights into human cognitive development and its origins.
  • Understanding essentialism in children is key to grasping fundamental aspects of human cognition.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current research landscape of childhood essentialism.
  • To explore the multifaceted nature of essentialism in children's cognitive processes.
  • To examine the developmental trajectory and societal impact of childhood essentialism.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of existing research on childhood essentialism.
  • Analysis of factors influencing essentialist beliefs, including experience, culture, and identity.
  • Examination of language's role in transmitting essentialist concepts.

Main Results:

  • Essentialism emerges early in development, enabling children to infer deeper properties of categories.
  • Experience, cultural context, and identity significantly shape the development and expression of essentialism.
  • Language acts as a potent vehicle for the transmission of essentialist beliefs across generations.

Conclusions:

  • Childhood essentialism is a 'double-edged sword,' facilitating cognitive flexibility while potentially fostering stereotyping and intergroup bias.
  • Essentialist tendencies in children have significant implications for social issues, education, and intergroup relations.
  • Further research is needed to understand the interplay between essentialism and other cognitive and social processes in childhood.