Higher Cognitive Functions in Children, Adults and Non-human Animals


You will explore studies examining three topics (time, causality and theory of mind) in three different participant groups (children, adults, and non-human animals). Our aim will be an integration of evidence across these groups to address what it is to understand these topics.

Lecture material may cover the following areas:

  • Development of thinking about time
  • Non-human animals’ understanding of time
  • Heuristics and biases in human adults’ thinking about time
  • Children’s thinking about causality
  • Folk physics in non-human animals
  • Adults’ thinking and reasoning about causes
  • Development of theory of mind
  • Theory of mind in non-human animals
  • Theory of mind in human adults

Key skills

  • Critical thinking
  • Integration and comparison
  • Problem solving
  • Gathering information
  • Report writing
  • Using initiative
  • Written communication