The Foundations of Mind: Origins of Conceptual Thought

In The Foundations of Mind, Jean Mandler presents a new theory of cognitive development in infancy, focusing on the processes through which perceptual information is transformed into concepts. Drawing on her extensive research, Mandler explores preverbal conceptualization and shows how it forms the basis for both thought and language. She also emphasizes the importance of distinguishing automatic perceptual processes from attentive conceptualization, and argues that these two kinds of learning follow different principles, so it is crucial to specify the processes required by a given task. Countering both strong nativist and empiricist views, Mandler provides a fresh and markedly different perspective on early cognitive development, painting a new picture of the abilities and accomplishments of infants and the development of the mind.


Author: Jean Matter Mandler
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Published: 05/06/2004
Pages: 376
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.45lbs
Size: 9.58h x 6.14w x 0.91d
ISBN: 9780195172003

About the Author

Jean Matter Mandler is Distinguished Research Professor of Cognitive Science at the University of California San Diego. She is the author of Stories, Scripts, and Scenes (1984) and Thinking (1964).

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