How the Mind Works:

Evolutionary Perspectives on Cognitive Development and Education

The premise of Evolutionary Psychology is that the human mind is adapted to work in particular ways; we are built to think some things but not others. In this seminar we will consider the, often quite radical, claims about human nature that are said to be consequences of an evolutionary perspective. The main focus will be on drawing out the implications of this approach for understanding children's thinking, its development, and the ways in which adults and institutions may affect that development (e.g., in schools). We’ll consider the arguments for and against a “modular” evolutionary psychology, including Fodor’s rejoinder to Pinker.

Our starting point will be Pinker's book, How the Mind Works. This is a popular introduction to Cognitive Science and Evolutionary Psychology. As the interests of the class dictate we will explore some topics in depth with further readings drawn from the scientific literatures. My inclination will be to focus on the area of social cognition: How are we built to think and learn about other people?

Background in cognitive and/or developmental psychology will be helpful but not required. Pinker's book is written for a general audience. The class is open to graduate and advanced undergraduate students (consent required). Class will be organized as a seminar with students contributing discussion papers and taking responsibility for leading discussions.

Educational Psychology 506 Spring ‘04

Fridays 12-2:30

Contact Instructor: Chuck Kalish, 2-0840 cwkalish@wisc.edu

Class number for registration is 30023

Link to previous years’ syllabus

Pinker and his book (as well as Ev. Psych. in general) have become something of a cult. For more information:

A blurb on the book: Why do fools fall in love? Why does a man's annual salary, on average, increase $600 with each inch of his height? How do optical illusions function as windows on the human soul? Cheerful, cheeky, occasionally outrageous MIT psychologist Steven Pinker answers all of the above and more in his marvelously fun, awesomely informative survey of modern brain science. Pinker argues that Darwin plus canny computer programs are the key to understanding ourselves--but he also throws in apt references to Star Trek, Star Wars, The Far Side, history, literature, W. C. Fields, Mozart, Marilyn Monroe, surrealism, experimental psychology, and Moulay Ismail the Bloodthirsty and his 888 children. If How the Mind Works were a rock show, tickets would be scalped for $100. This book deserves its honor of reaching number one on bestseller lists.