Biological and Cultural Bases of Human Inference

Biological and Cultural Bases of Human Inference addresses the interface between social science and cognitive science. In this volume, Viale and colleagues explore which human social cognitive powers evolve naturally and which are influenced by culture. Updating the debate between innatism and culturalism regarding human cognitive abilities, this book represents a much-needed articulation of these diverse bases of cognition.

Chapters throughout the book provide social science and philosophical reflections, in addition to the perspective of evolutionary theory and the central assumptions of cognitive science. The overall approach of the text is based on three complementary levels: adult performance, cognitive development, and cultural history and prehistory. Scholars from several disciplines contribute to this volume, including researchers in cognitive, developmental, social and evolutionary psychology, neuropsychology, cognitive anthropology, epistemology, and philosophy of mind.

This contemporary, important collection appeals to researchers in the fields of cognitive, social, developmental, and evolutionary psychology and will prove valuable to researchers in the decision sciences.

Contents: Preface. R. Viale, Introduction: Local or Universal Principles of Reasoning? R. Viale, D. Osherson, Cognitive Development, Culture, and Inductive Judgment. R.E. Nisbett, T. Masuda, Culture and Point of View. A. Norenzayan, Cultural Variation in Reasoning. S. Atran, D.L. Medin, N. Ross, Thinking About Biology: Modular Constraints on Categorization and Reasoning in the Everyday Life of Americans, Maya, and Scientists. L.A. Hirschfeld, Who Needs a Theory of Mind? J. Perner, A. Kühberger, Framing and the Theory-Simulation Controversy: Predicting People's Decisions. D. Sperber, An Evolutionary Perspective on Testimony and Argumentation. J.M. Weinberg, S. Nichols, S. Stich, Normativity and Epistemic Intuitions. L. Macchi, M. Bagassi, Probabilistic Reasoning and Natural Language.