Document Type
Book Chapter
Publication Date
4-25-2025
Keywords
blank slate, childhood, cognitive development, naive theory, theory
Disciplines
Developmental Psychology
Abstract
While the idea of the mind as a blank slate has long been abandoned, the question of what exactly a “non-blank slate” might look like is still debated. In this entry we discuss the claim that children are equipped with naïve theories—primitive, incomplete, or otherwise ill-formed, but nevertheless systematic, mental representations of cause-effect relations. Other terms that reflect this idea include ‘misconceptions’, ‘naïve beliefs’, ‘prior theories’, ‘alternative conceptions’, or ‘intuitive theories’. Their main characteristic is that they interfere with an open-minded exploration of the surrounding. The unfortunate result of such biased exploration is that children ignore evidence that conflicts with their naïve theory, posing an important challenge for science learning and pedagogy.
Recommended Citation
Fleuchaus, Ethan and Kloos, Heidi, "Naïve Theories" (2025). Essays in Developmental Psychology. 139.
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/edp/139