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Overcoming the shortcomings of the computer metaphor of the infant mind by embodying social relations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 May 2026

Frédéric Basso Open the ORCID record for Frédéric Basso [Opens in a new window]  and
Patrick A. Nolan Open the ORCID record for Patrick A. Nolan [Opens in a new window]
Frédéric Basso*
Affiliation:
Psychological and Behavioural Science, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK f.basso@lse.ac.uk p.a.nolan@lse.ac.uk
Patrick A. Nolan
Affiliation:
Psychological and Behavioural Science, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK f.basso@lse.ac.uk p.a.nolan@lse.ac.uk
*
*Corresponding author.
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Abstract

Thomas explicitly negates the Market Pricing relational model. However, her use of the computer metaphor of the mind implicitly renders Market Pricing as the universal framework through which all other relational models can be understood. Alternative metaphors could overcome this self-contradiction, allowing her to develop an embodiment approach to the developmental origins of the cognitive representations of social relations.

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Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 49 , 2026 , e28
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press

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