Tzotzil Maya Children’s Reasoning about Living Kinds

This project targets the interaction of cognitve development, culture and experience within the field of folkbiology. Specifically it explores the understandings of Tzotzil Maya and Spanish Speaking Ladino children in the community of Chenalhó, Chiapas.

Proven methods are used to assess the folkbiological concepts of children and adults in this community. It is important to note, that not one single task provides the data on which our results will rely, but that an array of tasks are employed to understand (and confirm) the individual findings.

This research is supported by the NIH.

Publications related to the Project:

Waxman, S.; Medin, D. & Ross, N. (in press).”Folkbiological Reasoning from a cross-cultural developmental perspective: Early essentialist notions are shaped by cultural beliefs. Developmental Psychology.

Ross, N.; Medin, D.; Coley, J. & Atran, S. (2003.). “Cultural and Experiential Differences in the Development of Folkbiological Induction.”

Cognitive Development, Vol.18:25-47.

Atran,S.; Medin, D. & Ross, N. (in press.).”Evolution and Devolution of Knowledge: A Tale of two biologies.” Journal of the Royal Anthropological

Society.

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