Exploring the Boundaries of Human Cognition

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This chapter examines the intricacies of studying human cognition and the tension between individual uniqueness and the need for generalization in research. The speakers discuss the implications of oversimplifying findings from limited samples and the importance of testing theories across diverse populations. They critically evaluate psychological research practices and highlight the challenges in defining what constitutes valid and valuable scientific inquiry.

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]