"Ghosts of Theories Past: How Intuitive Theories Compete with the Scientific Theories that 'Replace' Them"

Before learning science, we construct intuitive theories of the natural world. Intuitive theories function similarly to scientific theories, furnishing us with explanations and predictions, but they are less accurate and less precise. In this talk, I will show how intuitive theories survive the acquisition of scientific theories, competing with those theories to provide inferences about the same phenomena. While we can learn to privilege science over intuition, we cannot eliminate the conflict between them, as revealed by priming studies, training studies, developmental studies, and studies with science experts. I will explore the dynamics of this conflict, its cognitive underpinnings, and its implications for theories of conceptual change.

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Meeting ID: 933 7323 0831
Passcode: 839751