• ☰
  • Home
  • Introduction
  • Generative models
  • Conditioning
  • Causal and statistical dependence
  • Conditional dependence
  • Social cognition
  • Interlude - Bayesian data analysis
  • Interlude - Algorithms for inference
  • Rational process models
  • Learning as conditional inference
  • Learning with a language of thought
  • Hierarchical models
  • Occam's Razor
  • Mixture models
  • Learning (deep) continuous functions
  • Appendix - JavaScript basics
  • Appendix - Useful distributions

1. Theory Theory

There is a long philosophical debate about the nature of knowledge and thought. One relatively new perspective is “Theory Theory”, the proposal that knowledge looks a lot like scientific theories, and that thought involves processes very similar to reasoning about scientific theories. Read “Reconstructing Constructivism: Causal Models, Bayesian Learning Mechanisms, and the Theory Theory” by Alison Gopnik and Henry Wellman.

Reading questions:

a) In what ways are the generative models from the last two chapters in this textbook similar to the intuitive theories invoked by Theory Theory?

b) At which of Marr’s levels does Theory Theory operate?

Extras

• Theory of Mind. Theory of Mind is a paradigmatic example of a Theory Theory theory. Readers not familiar with Theory of Mind may find this short overview useful.

• Bayesian Inference. For those finding the notion of conditioning confusing, this video may be helpful.