Faculty
Paul Bloom
My research explores the nature of language and thought, primarily from a developmental perspective. I am currently working with students on a range of different issues, including social cognition in babies, the developing understanding of art and fiction, and the nature of disgust and humor. Please see the Publications page for links to some of my papers.
Paul BloomMy research explores the nature of language and thought, primarily from a developmental perspective. I am currently working with students on a range of different issues, including social cognition in babies, the developing understanding of art and fiction, and the nature of disgust and humor. Please see the Publications page for links to some of my papers.
Grad Students
Mark SheskinMy research interests are at the intersection of philosophy and psychology, particularly in the area of moral judgments. More generally, how does our evolutionary history as a species as well as our individual development through infancy and childhood influence the ways in which we think about the world? This question includes not only study of the processes by which we come to moral judgments, but also issues related to the non-moral assumptions that are commonly integral to moral issues.
Jen BarnesIn addition to being a graduate student in psychology, Jennifer Barnes is a writer of books for teens. She's interested in the cognitive science of fiction, how people understand and tell stories, and the development of understanding the concept of intellectual property.
Lily GuillotPeople spend an amazing amount of time, money, and energy in the pursuit of fiction. My research aims to explore why and how stories can be so appealing. Some of my current studies look at how we get involved in a story in the first place, the developmental roots of identification with fictional characters, and how preferences for narrative contour may shift over time. I am also interested in the narrative of daydreams, and in the origins of aesthetic preferences more generally.
Christina StarmansI am interested in why and how people think about bodies and souls as two distinct kinds of things, and what impact these dualist intuitions have on our everyday decisions. I am also interested in how we acquire information about other people's mental states, and what factors contribute to our success. For example, how does the development of language aid in our understanding of other minds, and conversely how do theory of mind abilities help us understand non-literal language such as sarcasm or politeness?
Lab Affiliates
Kiley HamlinMy main interest is in the ways that infants come to understand the minds and interactions of people around them. My research deals primarily with the moral cognitive abilities of infants, such as what infants understand about "good guys" and "bad guys." Additionally, I am interested in how young infants understand the intentions and goals of others, most especially those goals that go unrealized. I work primarily with Karen Wynn in the Infant Cognition Center.
Alex ShawMy interests lie in using cognitive, social, and developmental psychology to understand and generate ultimate evolutionary explanations of behavior. I also want to investigate the evolutionary origins of morality, third party punishment, love and humor.
Brian EarpBrian Earp is a senior cognitive science major at Yale. His research has focused on the role of automatic stereotype effects in racial differences in academic achievement. He is also interested in philosophy of mind and the lessons of psychology for free will. Former editor of the Yale Philosophy Review, Brian now edits the Yale Review of Undergraduate Research in Psychology. Brian is also a professional actor and singer.
William FeldmanD.Phil candidate in the Department of Politics and International Relations at Nuffield College, Oxford University
Exchange Scholar in the Department of Political Science at Yale University.
Tamar GendlerProfessor of Philosophy and Chair of the Cognitive Science Program at Yale University.
Mark PhelanVisiting researcher and lecturer in Philosophy and Cognitive Science at Yale University.
Lab Alumni
Izzat Jarudi, Ph.DI am interested in understanding morality (moral choice, judgment, emotions, and norms) using the tools and ideas of cognitive, social, and evolutionary psychology. My thesis work with Dr. Bloom focuses on issues of everyday moral judgment, including the moral evaluation of everyday objects, conservative concerns about moral purity, and moral objections to performance enhancement.
Jane Erickson, Ph.DMy primary research interests lie in cognitive development with a focus on conceptual development, naive biology, and theory of mind. In particular, I am interested in the developmental origins of, and interaction between, naive biology and theory of mind. A current project is looking to see at what age children begin to distinguish biological from psychological phenomena. A second project seeks to discover whether or not children attribute intentionality to biological processes and how this may change throughout development.
Louisa Egan, Ph.D.Visiting Assistant Professor
Ford Center for Global Citizenship
Kellogg School of Management
Northwestern University
Melissa Allen Preissler, Ph.D.Lecturer
School of Philosophy, Psychology, and Language Sciences
University of Edinburgh
Candice Mills, Ph.D.Assistant Professor
School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences
University of Texas at Dallas
Kristy vanMarle, Ph.D.Assistant Professor
Department of Psychological Sciences
University of Missouri - Columbia
Lori Markson, Ph.D.Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology
University of California at Berkeley
