Conference on Human Cognitive Specializations, New Iberia Research Center, USL, October 15-19, 1998, New Iberia, Louisiana

这次会议的目标是对人类独有的认知过程有一个更清晰的认识。在过去的几十年里，研究动物（尤其是猴子和猿）认知能力的研究人员一直专注于识别人类和其他物种之间的相似之处。事实上，一个广泛持有的观点是，这项研究明确地表明，人类的认知没有本质上的不同。然而，有一项新兴的研究表明，人类已经在几个智力领域进化出了专业化，包括与(1)语言，(2)自我意识，(3)理解他人的信仰、欲望和其他精神状态，以及(4)理解控制无生命物体运动和相互作用的抽象因果原则相关的领域。对人类来说，这些能力出现在生命的最初几年，并深刻地影响我们获取和使用文化观念、符号和物体的能力，以及我们在社会中发挥作用的能力。会议将汇集来自不同学术背景的研究人员和学生，他们对人类认知专业有共同的兴趣。它将提供一个独特的机会来评估这一领域的理论和研究现状，并帮助制定未来研究的议程，从而更深入地了解人类心灵的独特人类特征。

The goal of this conference is to develop a clearer understanding of cognitive processes that may be unique to the human species. During the past several decades, researchers investigating the cognitive abilities of animals (especially monkeys and apes) have focused on identifying the similarities between humans and other species. Indeed, one widely held view is that this research has definitively shown that there is nothing qualitatively different about human cognition. Nevertheless, there is an emerging body of research suggesting that humans have evolved specializations in several intellectual spheres, including those related to (1) language, (2) self-awareness, (3) understanding the beliefs, desires, and other mental states of other individuals, and (4) understanding the abstract causal principles that govern the movement and interactions of inanimate objects. In humans, these abilities emerge within the first few years of life, and profoundly affect our ability to acquire and use cultural ideas, symbols, and objects, and our ability to function in society. The conference will bring together researchers and students from a variety of different academic backgrounds with a common interest in human cognitive specializations. It will provide a unique opportunity to assess the current state of theory and research in this field, and help develop an agenda for future research leading to a deeper understanding of the distinctively human characteristics of the human mind.