How do we understand other people’s thoughts and emotions? | What motivates humans to interact with each other? | How are social thoughts and behaviors different in kids and adults? | How does autism influence social behaviors?
Our research quantifies the complex cognitive mechanisms underlying real-world social behaviors across development. Specifically, we study two intertwined domains of social cognition: (1) theory of mind—or understanding the thoughts, beliefs, and desires of others—and (2) social interaction. We also explore the interplay between these domains: how theory of mind is employed during social interaction and how social interaction helps promote the development of theory of mind. Further attesting to the link between these domains, autism is characterized by differences in both theory of mind and social interaction. Thus, in order to understand social development, our research examines typical development and atypical development, specifically autism and social anxiety, with the goal of promoting positive social outcomes for everyone.
Current projects include:
- Quantifying social processing in children and adults using eye-tracking during both recorded and live interactions
- Determining the different components of theory of mind in children and adults
- Looking across cultures to see how theory of mind is related to children’s ability and willingness to tell prosocial, or white, lies
- Examining how the languages spoken by others influence the social behaviors of monolingual and bilingual kids
- Investigating links between social cognition, social perception, and social motivation in autistic and non-autistic kids and adults
Click to see our past publications.