Abstract: I evaluate two types of non-individualistic theories of scientific inference, both of which maintain that scientific theory construction and confirmation are sometimes underwritten by processes that occur beyond the biological boundaries of individual scientists. The first is an application of 'extended mind' theories of cognition to contexts of scientific inference. The second – what might be called a 'population-level theory' of scientific inference – characterizes the dynamics of communities of scientists at the population-level. I argue for the position that population-level theories are more plausible than extended mind accounts since the former, unlike the latter, do not necessarily compete with individualistic theories of scientific inference. This position has implications for aspects of cognition that have been modeled after scientific hypothesis formation and confirmation. I trace some of these implications for childhood learning and everyday belief revision.
