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SUMMARY:The Coexistence of Natural and Supernatural Explanations across Cu
 ltures and Development - Dr. Cristine Legare\, University of Texas at Aust
 in
DTSTART:20110513T120000Z
DTEND:20110513T130000Z
UID:TALK30838@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Carissa Sharp
DESCRIPTION:Despite the prevalence of both natural and supernatural reason
 ing\, little is known about the capacity to accommodate and reconcile thes
 e two kinds of explanation.  Although often conceptualized in contradictor
 y terms\, I argue that the common assumption that these explanatory framew
 orks are incompatible is psychologically inaccurate.  I propose instead th
 at the same individuals use both natural and supernatural explanations to 
 interpret the very same events and that there are multiple ways in which b
 oth kinds of explanations coexist in individual minds.  To support this cl
 aim\, I will review converging developmental data from cultural contexts r
 anging from India to Madagascar in three areas of biological thought: the 
 origin of species\, illness\, and death\, with particular emphasis on my r
 esearch examining how biological and witchcraft explanations for AIDS coex
 ist in South Africa.  Contrary to traditional accounts of cognitive develo
 pment\, in which natural explanations are thought to increasingly displace
  supernatural explanations\, I argue that supernatural explanations often 
 increase\, rather than decrease with age.  By re-casting the classic theor
 etical tension between natural and supernatural reasoning\, I propose a ne
 w direction for psychological research\, one that acknowledges thinking ab
 out supernatural phenomena as an integral and enduring aspect of cognitive
  development.
LOCATION:PPSIS Seminar Room (Free School Lane)
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