Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comment
. 1997 Dec;68(6):1018-20; discussion 1027-30.

The last of the magicians? Children, scientists, and the invocation of hidden causal powers

P L Harris  1
Affiliations
  • PMID: 9418220
Comment

The last of the magicians? Children, scientists, and the invocation of hidden causal powers

P L Harris. Child Dev. 1997 Dec.

Abstract

It is often assumed that scientific thinking displaces magical thinking, both historically and ontogenetically, but the tendency to invoke hidden causal powers straddles both modes of thought. The strength of this disposition among children and adults alike stands in need of explanation.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment on