ABSTRACT
The Constructivist strand would hold that the Mind is a product of human biology, combined with the five senses, basic drives and the capacity to learn. The Materialist model of Mind would suggest that the Mind is produced by the brain, through the psycho-chemical properties of brain and tissue. During 1996–97 two investigations were undertaken to determine which concepts of Mind were held by young people, and how they were formed. The first was carried out by A/S Psychology students at Boston Spa Comprehensive School. During the summer term of 1997 a new survey was constructed which extended to the whole school, to identify models of Mind held by students. Student responses illustrate a range of explanations, the majority of which have origins in philosophical enquiry. Their education process assumes that building blocks of knowledge lead to concept formation and understanding, and that complex issues such as the philosophy of Mind are dealt with during the tertiary stage of education.
