Kristin Andrews

Research

For the past several years I have been working on a research program in response to two problems with many philosophical theories of the mind: they focus exclusively on familiar adult humans, while ignoring the minds of others such as children, people from other cultures, people with autism and other disabilities, animals, etc.  Furthermore they are often developed without regard to relevant scientific research.  While these problems infect many areas in the philosophy of mind, my aim is to address them in the development of an empirically plausible account of folk psychology, our commonsense, everyday understanding of other people as agents directed by their beliefs, desires, emotions, etc.  

I have finished a draft of a book Persons As We Know Them: A Pluralistic Approach to Folk Psychology, in which I argue for a theory of folk psychology that avoids the chauvinistic implications in much of the current literature.  I defend my theory against other theories by showing how it is more psychologically plausible and inclusive.  Specifically, I argue against the monolithic view regarding the practice and form of folk psychology assumed by the two primary accounts of folk-psychological reasoning (the simulation theory and the theory-theory).  There is reason to think that folk psychology is more diverse than is typically thought, both insofar as there is a heterogeneous collection of heuristics that are used, and because our folk psychological practices involve more goals than just prediction and explanation. I argue that my theory makes sense of the rich social cognitive behavior we see in nonhuman animals and infants.

I have also been engaged in a philosophy of science project examining the methods of animal cognition research.    I am analyzing methods for studying animal cognition in the field, and comparing laboratory and field methodologies for fecundity, rigor, and how well they mirror the methods used to study human infant cognition.

Affiliated research groups, NGO's, and conferences

Comparative Cognition in Context

An Ontario research group I initiated with Anne Russon.  We focus on examining the methodologies of studying animal cognition in ecologically valid environments. 

Society for Philosophy of Animal Minds

We are working on developing a database of philosophically intersting articles on animal cognition.

Borneo Orangutan Survival Canada

I am an executive director for this registered charity dedicated to the presearvations of wild orangutan populations.

Borneo Orangutan Survival - Samboja Lestari

Rehabilitating orangutans for eventual release into the wild; supports cognition research.

Milton and Ethel Harris Research Initiative

York University initiative led by Stuart Shanker to study the emotional development of normally developing children, children with autism, and chimpanzees.

Society for Philosophy and Psychology

Since 1974, the SPP has been integrating philosophical and empirical research on the nature of mind.  The 2007 conference was held at York University, June 14-17.