James W. Pennebaker, Chair
The University of Texas at Austin, SEA 4.212, Austin, TX 78712 • (512) 475-7596
Legare research featured on Richard Dawkins Foundation website
The Richard Dawkins Foundation reports on a study by Dr. Cristine Legare published in the June 2012 issue of Child Development.
Posted: February 14, 2013
Cristine Legare, Ph.D.
People Merge Supernatural and Scientific Beliefs When Reasoning With the Unknown
Reliance on supernatural explanations for major life events, such as death and illness, often increases rather than declines with age, according to a new psychology study from The University of Texas at Austin.
The study, published in the June issue of Child Development, offers new insight into developmental learning.
“As children assimilate cultural concepts into their intuitive belief systems — from God to atoms to evolution — they engage in coexistence thinking,” said Cristine Legare, assistant professor of psychology and lead author of the study. “When they merge supernatural and scientific explanations, they integrate them in a variety of predictable and universal ways.”
