Taking Development Seriously a Festschrift for Annette Karmiloff-smith : Neuroconstructivism and the Multi-disciplinary Approach to Understanding the Emergence of Mind

This influential festschrift honours the legacy of Annette Karmiloff-Smith, a seminal thinker in the field of child development and a pioneer in developmental cognitive neuroscience. The current volume brings together many of the researchers, collaborators and students who worked with Professor Karmiloff-Smith to show how her ideas have influenced and continue to influence their own research.

Over four parts, each covering a different phase or domain of Karmiloff-Smith’s research career, leading developmental psychologists in cognition, neuroscience and computer science reflect on her extensive contribution, from her early work with Piaget in Geneva to her innovative research project investigating children with Down syndrome to understand the mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease. The chapters provide a mix of cutting-edge science and reminiscence, providing a fascinating insight into the historical contexts in which many of Annette’s theoretical insights arose, including such ideas as the microgenetic approach, representational redescription and neuroconstructivism. The chapters also provide updates about how earlier theoretical ideas have stood the test of time, and present unpublished data from the early years of Annette’s career.

Taking Development Seriously is essential reading for students and scholars in child development and developmental neuroscience.

Michael S. C. Thomas is Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at Birkbeck, University of London, UK.

Denis Mareschal is Professor of Psychology at Birkbeck, University of London, UK.

Victoria C. P. Knowland is Lecturer in Speech and Language Science at University of Newcastle, UK.