Overview
Major research interests in processes of social cognition, social learning, cooperation, and communication from developmental, comparative, and cultural perspectives. Current theoretical focus on processes of shared intentionality. Empirical research mainly with human children from 1 to 4 years of age and great apes.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
James F. Bonk Distinguished Professor
·
2016 - Present
Psychology & Neuroscience,
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience
·
2015 - Present
Psychology & Neuroscience,
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology
·
2016 - Present
Evolutionary Anthropology,
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Professor of Philosophy
·
2016 - Present
Philosophy,
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Professor of Linguistics
·
2025 - Present
Linguistics,
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Recent Publications
Young children enforce self-created norms promiscuously.
Journal Article Journal of experimental child psychology · February 2026 Three-year-old children normatively protest the transgression of adult rules in a variety of contexts. Five-year-olds also normatively protest the transgression of rules they have themselves created collaboratively with peers. But do children of these ages ... Full text CiteIt's the cost that counts! Young children's reciprocity is sensitive to subjective cost.
Journal Article Child development · February 2026 Three experiments investigated whether reciprocity in children aged 4-7 (N = 192; 53.12% female; 65.63% White) is sensitive to the cost of a gift from the benefactor's perspective. In the main study, 6- and 7-year-olds, but not 4- and 5-year-olds, preferre ... Full text CiteThree-year-old children understand the false beliefs of their partner in collaborative decision making.
Journal Article Child development · February 2026 Classic false-belief tasks may be confusing because children converse with someone who knows that a situation has changed about a third person who does not know this. Two studies used a collaborative false-belief task in which US- and UK-based 3-year-olds ... Full text CiteRecent Grants
Cross-Cultural Patterns in the Ontogeny of Cooperation
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Jacobs Foundation · 2016 - 2027Humilities Across Cultures: Do Children in China and the U.S. Value Intellectual Humility for Moral and Epistemic Beliefs?
ResearchCollaborator · Awarded by John Templeton Foundation · 2024 - 2026The Impact of Gossip on Children's Feelings of Belongingness
FellowshipSponsor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2023 - 2026View All Grants
Education
University of Georgia ·
1980
Ph.D.
Duke University ·
1972
B.A.