Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science pp 1–7Cite as

Cognitive Development in Non-Human Primates

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:

  • 54 Accesses

Key Idea

Cognitive development

Synonyms

Cognitive developmental science

Definition

The study of change across the lifespan in the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses.

Introduction

Cognitive development encompasses behavior, cognition, and the brain from birth until adulthood. As such, it is a varied and complex discipline with many areas of study and numerous perspectives and theories. Below is a summary of the main theories of cognitive development that historically and currently have impacted the field. This summary is, of course, not exhaustive bit provides a first look at the variety of the field. Next, the development of three major cognitive abilities is described: attention, memory, and language. These are also not exhaustive; any number of abilities could have been chosen. But, these three cognitions, and their accompanying behaviors, are understood very well from infancy through childhood and are broad...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

References

  • Chomsky, N. (1986). Knowledge of language: Its nature origin and use. Westport: Praeger Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gottlieb, G. (1991). Experiential canalization of behavioral development: Theory. Developmental Psychology, 27(1), 4–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mischel, W. (2014). The marshmallow test: Mastering self-control. New York: Little, Brown, & Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Primi, R., Ferrao, M. E., & Almeida, L. S. (2010). Fluid intelligence as a predictor of learning: A longitudinal multilevel approach applied to math. Learning and Individual Differences, 20, 446–451.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saffran, J. R., Werker, J. F., & Werner, L. A. (2006). The infant’s auditory world: Hearing, speech and the beginnings of language. In Handbook of child psychology (Vol. II). Hoboken: Wiley. 1:2.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sellers, P. D., II, & Bjorklund, D. F. (2014). The development of adaptive memory. In M. Howe, M. Toglia, H. Otgaar, & B. Schwartz (Eds.), What is adaptive about adaptive memory. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spelke, E. S., & Kinzler, K. D. (2007). Core knowledge. Developmental Science, 10(1), 89–96.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pennsylvania State University, Dunmore, PA, USA

    P. Douglas Sellers II

Authors
  1. P. Douglas Sellers II
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to P. Douglas Sellers II .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Todd K. Shackelford

  2. Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Viviana A. Weekes-Shackelford

Section Editor information

  1. University of South Carolina - Beaufort, Bluffton, SC, USA

    Carey Fitzgerald

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG

About this entry

Cite this entry

Sellers, P.D. (2018). Cognitive Development in Non-Human Primates. In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_2392-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_2392-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation