National Institute for Health and Care Research

A Developmental Perspective on Cognitive Science

Neuro-constructivism. Karmiloff Smith Beyond Modularity.

This book provides a description of Karmiloff Smith’s influential work ‘Beyond Modularity’ that advanced upon the dominant theories of child brain development from nativism (Fodor) and constructivism (Piaget) to what would become neuro-constructivism.  Here she explains how the mind does not begin with pre-specified modules (as per Fodor), but rather becomes modularised through development, through which domain specific predispositions focus an infant/child’s attention to the relevant inputs for development.  

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