No description available.

Many human behaviours are thought to depend upon cognitive capacities enriched with innate domain-specific knowledge. Underpinning this view is the hypothesis that evolution can shape cognition to include strong innate inductive biases. In this thesis, I re-examine that hypothesis with respect to a broad class of behaviours: those that we learn from other individuals. Taking human language as a test case, I present an analysis of the co-evolutionary process that underpins the formation of innate constraints on cognition for behaviours that are culturally transmitted through inductive inference. I derive a series of mathematical models of this process, built around Bayesian models of cognition and cultural transmission, and ask how they can inform our expectations about cognition in a cultural species. I argue that the traditional marriage of nativism and evolutionary reasoning is undermined by this process, as is the suggestion that cognitive adaptation to cultural behaviours is outright implausible. I explore the co-evolutionary dynamics induced by cultural transmission, and conclude that they can radically manipulate the evolution of cognition: culture can intervene in the formation of hard-wired knowledge, but nevertheless facilitate rapid cognitive adaptation. The analyses I report make strong, testable predictions about the nature of inductive biases for cultural behaviours, and offer solutions to a number of long-standing conundrums in the evolution of language.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Also available in print.

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Queensland, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references.

Samhället förändras och blir allt mer mångkulturellt och det skapar ett större behov av att kunna kommunicera. Mitt syfte var att undersöka hur den interkulturella kommunikationen fungerar mellan pedagoger och föräldrar.I min undersökning intervjuade jag två pedagoger och fem föräldrar på en mångkulturell förskola, där jag gjorde tre observationer. Pedagogerna är mycket positiva i sin kommunikation med föräldrarna. När inte det talade språket räcker till använder man hela sin kropp och tecken, alltså pekar och ritar och ber barnen hjälpa att tolka för att kommunicera, sa en av pedagogerna. Det händer att man inte förstår varandra och det kan skapa frustration när man inte kan förmedla sitt budskap till den andra. Pedagogerna upplever att det kan vara svårt att förmedla information till invandrarföräldrarna som inte kan tala svenska. Även kulturella skillnader kan påverka kommunikationen. Hur lång tid det tar för föräldrarna att bli delaktiga i det svenska samhället påverkades av olika aspekter som orsaken till invandringen, utbildning, tidigare arbetserfarenheter och hur aktiva de varit i sin eget samhälle.De intervjuade föräldrarna kunde tala svenska och deras uppfattning var att kommunikationen fungerar bra. De upplever att de förstår och kan göra sig förstådda och att de får tillräckligt med information runt deras barn. De flesta av de intervjuade föräldrarna har bott en längre tid i Sverige.Pedagogerna önskar mera kunskap om invandrarföräldrarnas bakgrund och kultur för att bättre kunna bemöta dem i samarbetet runt deras barn. Hur nyanlända invandrare känner och uppfattar kommunikationen med pedagogerna kan jag inte uttala mig om, eftersom jag inte fick möjlighet att intervjua dem. De ville inte delta. / The intercultural meeting at preschool between adultsSociety is changing and becoming increasingly multicultural, it creates a deeper need to communicate. My aim was to explore how intercultural communication works between teachers and parents.In my investigation I interviewed two teachers and five parents at a multicultural preschool where I also made three observations. The teachers are very positive in their communication with the parents. When spoken language is not sufficient enough they use body language to communicate and some times they ask the children to help interpret. It happens that we do not understand each other and it can create frustration when you can not convey your message to one an other. Teachers find that it can be difficult to convey information to the immigrant parents who do not speak Swedish. Even cultural differences affect communication. How long it takes for parents to become involved in the Swedish society is affected by different aspects such as the reason for immigration, education, prior work experience and how active they were in their own society.The parents that I interviewed speak the Swedish language and they feel that communication with the teachers works well. They feel that they understand each other and that they receive adequate information about their children. Most of the parents interviewed have lived a long time in Sweden. The teachers want more knowledge about the parents´ background and culture in order to better be able to collaborate with them on the subject of their children. How newly arrived immigrants feel and perceive communication with the teachers I can not comment on because I did not have the opportunity to interview them. They did not want to participate.

No description available.

Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Auburn University, 2006. / Abstract. Includes bibliographic references.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - James Cook University, 2005. / Typescript (photocopy) Bibliography: leaves [267]-286.

Report (Ed.D.)--Teachers College. / Sponsor: Craig Timberlake. Dissertation Committee: Charles W. Walton, . Issued also on microfilm. Includes bibliography.