Cognitive cladistics and cultural override in Hominid spatial cognition
Cognitive cladistics and cultural override in Hominid spatial cognition
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DOI：
10.1073/pnas.0607999103
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发表时间：
2006-11-14
影响因子：
11.1
通讯作者：
Levinson, Stephen C.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Haun, Daniel B. M.;Rapold, Christian J.;Levinson, Stephen C.
目前研究人类认知的方法往往基于西方成年人的表现，采取强烈的本土主义立场，在可能的情况下，这种立场得到了新生儿和婴儿研究的支持，而几乎从来没有对人科进行过比较研究。最近的研究表明，在认知策略方面存在相当大的跨文化差异，包括关系思维，这是一个由于缺乏认知成熟而无法对婴儿进行研究的领域。在这里，我们将相同的范式应用于不同文化背景的儿童和成人以及所有非人类类人猿属。我们发现，儿童和成人的空间认知系统地随语言和文化而变化，但尽管如此，类人猿有一种明显的空间策略遗传偏见。我们认为，有理由得出这样的结论：语言和文化掩盖了人类的固有倾向。这种演化论的方法表明，人类认知的正确观点既不是本土均变论，也不是“白纸”，而是认识到语言和文化对我们共同的灵长类认知偏见的强大影响。
Current approaches to human cognition often take a strong nativist stance based on Western adult performance, backed up where possible by neonate and infant research and almost never by comparative research across the Hominidae. Recent research suggests considerable cross-cultural differences in cognitive strategies, including relational thinking, a domain where infant research is impossible because of lack of cognitive maturation. Here, we apply the same paradigm across children and adults of different cultures and across all nonhuman great ape genera. We find that both child and adult spatial cognition systematically varies with language and culture but that, nevertheless, there is a clear inherited bias for one spatial strategy in the great apes. It is reasonable to conclude, we argue, that language and culture mask the native tendencies in our species. This cladistic approach suggests that the correct perspective on human cognition is neither nativist uniformitarian nor "blank slate" but recognizes the powerful impact that language and culture can have on our shared primate cognitive biases.