Michael Tomasello on cooperation, fairness and the importance of shared experiences

If we want to help children succeed and thrive so that they can reach their full potential, we need to understand their mental, biological, and emotional needs.

Join Sean Sanders, Director and Senior Editor for Custom Publishing at Science, as he interviews outstanding researchers in a broad range of fields whose work either directly involves the study of children and adolescents or has a significant impact in their lives. Each interviewee is also the recipient of the Klaus J. Jacobs Research Prize, awarded by the Jacobs Foundation, that recognizes exceptional achievements in the field of child and youth development.

Episode 3: What makes us human? Michael Tomasello on cooperation, fairness and the importance of shared experiences

When do young children begin to cooperate and show signs of fairness? How does a shared experience influence a child’s behaviour towards an adult? Why has our tendency towards cooperation not kept up with the development of our social society?

Listen in as Sean finds out the answers to these questions and more with today’s guest, Michael Tomasello.

Michael Tomasello is the James F. Bonk Distinguished Professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University. His work hopes to uncover the psychological processes of social cognition, social learning, cooperation, and communication that contribute to our uniqueness as humans.

Footnotes

Podcast produced by AAAS.

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