Cognition and Cultural Contexts

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This chapter explores the interplay between cognitive mechanisms and the cultural environments that influence their development. It discusses the distinctions between fluid and crystallized intelligence and how contextual factors shape perceptions of intelligence, using examples such as the Mueller-Lyer illusion and Raven's Progressive Matrices. The conversation raises critical questions about the universality of intelligence assessments and their implications for understanding cognitive abilities across diverse cultural settings.

David and Tamler lead off with a breakdown of the new commercial for “friend (not imaginary)” a new AI necklace that takes hikes with you, interrupts your favorite shows, and will be there for your first kiss. Then we talk about a new paper co-authored by VBW favorite Joe Henrich that challenges cognitive science for pretending to be universal without offering evidence. A good discussion punctuated by David’s new theory of the rise of the autism. (TLDL the nerds are having sex).

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Kroupin, I., Davis, H. E., & Henrich, J. (2024). Beyond Newton: Why assumptions of universality are critical to cognitive science, and how to finally move past them. Psychological Review. [harvard.edu]