Background My research has aimed for more than 30 years to shed light on human knowledge through study of its origins and development. That study has focused on the fundamental capacities of human infants and young children to reason and learn about the material world of objects, the abstract concepts at the foundations of science and mathematics, and the social world of people. The primary goa...

The overwhelming majority of work in social cognition has focused on adults, what can be called end-state social cognition. We argue that development (and especially cognitive development) can provide a theoretical and methodological tool to advance the study of social cognition. Developmental psychology can offer unique insight into the origin of end-state processes, providing insight into how...

In this contribution, we review research that uses a cross-fertilisation approach to integrate developmental and social-psychological perspectives on how identities are formed changed over time identity processes genuinely social, being embedded in social contexts fed by contents. First, outline the three-factor model as parsimonious understanding dynamics of development. Second, empirical stud...

The field of pediatrics in the US began in late-nineteenth century urban slums, where young children were monitored to ensure they received safe milk and mothers were educated about nutrition and hygiene. The subsequent reduction of infectious disease through sanitation and vaccination, and a continuing appreciation of the powerful impact of the social context of children's well being, reinforc...

This study was carried out within the framework of National Programme for University Teacher Training (FPU) Spanish Universities Ministry and funded by a grant awarded to second author paper.