Today's CDC Seminar will be given by Gil Diesendruck, Bar-Ilan University Date: ***TODAY***, November 29, 2010, 5 PM The causes of social essentialism Adults and children around the world seem to treat categories of people as if they have distinct inherent essences, which make the categories incompatible and permanent. In this talk, I will examine some of the factors that may contribute to the development of such essentialist beliefs about social categories. In particular, I will present data from a recent developmental cross-cultural study on children's social categorization. I will then discuss some ideas about the nature and origins of these beliefs, and describe cultural practices that may help sustain them. I will end with speculations about the possible adaptive function of such beliefs. _______________________________________________ Subscribe by sending an empty mail to seminars-subscribe(a)cdc.ceu.hu Unsubscribe by sending an empty mail to seminars-unsubscribe(a)cdc.ceu.hu