ABSTRACT
Chapter 1 covered two main issues. First, it demonstrated the existence of everyday physics in novice students of physics, and established something about its nature. Second, it showed how the nature of everyday physics is consistent with the claim made by certain cognitive psychologists and philosophers that theoretical structure is a primitive of human cognition. In particular, if theoretical structure is primitive, it will operate as an organising principle from early in life. Thus, it is consistent with the claim that the mechanisms and variables of everyday physics appear, to some extent at least, to be theoretically organised. In addition, if theoretical structure is primitive, there should be some internally generated pressure to understand mechanisms, since theories revolve around mechanisms. Thus, it is also compatible with the claim that the mechanisms of everyday physics are not entirely wayward when judged by received standards.
