Susan Carey

Susan Carey
Born1942 (age 81–82)
Education
Known for
Scientific career
Fields
InstitutionsHarvard University
New York University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
ThesisIs the child a scientist with false theories about the world? (1971)

Susan E. Carey (born 1942[1]) is an American psychologist who is a professor of psychology at Harvard University. She studies language acquisition, children's development of concepts, conceptual changes over time, and the importance of executive functions.[2] She has conducted experiments on infants, toddlers, adults, and non-human primates.[3][4] Her books include Conceptual Change in Childhood (1985)[5] and The Origin of Concepts (2009).[6]

Among the ideas that Carey has developed are fast mapping, whereby children learn the meanings of words after a single exposure;[7][8] extended mapping, folk theories,[9] and Quinian bootstrapping.[10] Her work is considered "the starting point for any serious modern theory of conceptual development."[11]

In 2009, Carey was the first woman to receive the David E. Rumelhart Prize for significant contributions to the theoretical foundation of human cognition.[12][13][14] Carey received the 2020 Atkinson Prize in Psychological and Cognitive Sciences for her theory of conceptual change, for which she is credited with having "revolutionized our understanding of how humans construct an understanding of objects, number, living kinds, and the physical world."[9][15]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference AAAS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Unlocking the secrets of children's complex thinking: The studies". National Science Foundation. August 14, 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  3. ^ Wayne, Tiffany K. (2011-01-01). American Women of Science Since 1900. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781598841589.
  4. ^ "Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions: Susan E. Carey". American Psychologist. 64 (8): 636–638. 2009. doi:10.1037/a0017193. PMID 19899856.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Powell was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Kennison, Shelia; Messer, Rachel (10 March 2010). "The Beginning of Knowing". PsycCRITIQUES. 55 (10). doi:10.1037/a0018347.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference APS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Carey, S; Bartlett, E (1978). "Acquiring a single new word". Papers and Reports on Child Language Development. 15: 17–29.
  9. ^ a b "Susan Elizabeth Carey". National Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference APA_bootstrapping was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Barner, David; Baron, Andrew Scott, eds. (2016). "An Introduction to Core Knowledge and Conceptual Change". Core Knowledge and Conceptual Change. Oxford University Press. pp. 3–8. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190467630.003.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-046763-0.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference introduction was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference Lavoie was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference Lombrozo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ Huang, Yi Ting; Spelke, Elizabeth; Snedeker, Jesse (1 April 2010). "When is four far more than three? Children's generalization of newly-acquired number words". Psychological Science. 21 (4): 600–606. doi:10.1177/0956797610363552. ISSN 0956-7976. PMC 3110717. PMID 20424108.