Principal Investigator

MARJORIE RHODES
Professor of Psychology
Website: http://www.psych.nyu.edu/rhodes
Email: marjorie dot rhodes at nyu dot edu
CV: click here

My research examines conceptual development and the development of social cognition. In conceptual development, my work focuses on categorization: How do children categorize different kinds of objects? Does category structure vary by domain? How do children use categories to guide their inferences and behavior? How does information about within-category variability influence individuals' concepts? In the development of social cognition, my work examines how children categorize people, as well as the implication of social categories for children's behavior, social inference, and moral cognition.

Professional Research Staff

JULIA JOHNSON
Lab Manager
Email: jrj368 at nyu dot edu

I recently graduated from the University of Connecticut with a B.A. in Cognitive Science and minors in film studies, linguistics, and French. I am interested in children’s perceptions of their own social relationships and the development of pragmatic competence. In my free time, I love thrifting, watching horror movies, and exploring new places in the city.

Graduate Students

MOHIT MUKHERJI
PhD Student
Email: mohit dot mukherji at nyu dot edu

I graduated from Temple University in 2022 with a BA in Psychology and Philosophy. I’m interested in semantic and conceptual development, in particular the development of logical concepts in early childhood. I am also interested in how language interacts with other core aspects of nonlinguistic cognition.

MEGHAN KALVEY
PhD Student
Email: mk8439 at nyu dot edu

I graduated from Watson Institute at Lynn University in 2022 with a B.S. in Social Entrepreneurship. A unique combination of experiences during my undergraduate study—developing a mindfulness app prototype, researching a city’s socio-economic preparedness for B-corps, and researching the impact of herbicides on GABA-A receptors—helped consolidate my interest in research and human psychology. After spending some time at NYU as a General Psychology Master’s student, I’m excited to be pursuing a PhD in Psychology. Broadly, I’m interested in how people learn and think about social groups and structures. Outside of the lab, I enjoy seeking new experiences with friends, sport climbing, and learning artsy skills.

SOPHIE ARNOLD
PhD Student
Email: sophie dot arnold at nyu dot edu

After graduating from University of Chicago in 2018 with a BA in Psychology and Economics, and working at Yale University as a lab manager for 2 years, I am excited to be pursuing a doctoral degree at NYU with the CDSC lab. I am interested in how children think about and learn about social categories like gender and race. In particular, I am interested in how information from parents and social environments like their neighborhoods shape children’s beliefs about social categories. Outside of the lab, I enjoy playing rugby and reading science fiction and fantasy.

Post-Doctoral Research Fellows

CYNTHIA BOO
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Email: cynthia dot boo at nyu dot edu

I received my PhD in Developmental Psychology and a graduate certificate in Cognitive Sciences from the University of Connecticut. I am broadly interested in the role of language in social development. My dissertation investigated how the use of certain linguistic devices (e.g., pronouns, linguistic alignment, discourse markers) contributed to school-aged children’s perceptions of their friendship quality. I look to apply the same methods of conversational analysis to the study of children’s development of social categories by considering the role of language in caregiver-child discourse. Outside of the lab, I enjoy cooking, and all things related to true crime.

MARIANNA ZHANG
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Email: marianna dot zhang at nyu dot edu

I'm interested in how children reason about social categories and social structures. I received my PhD in developmental psychology from Stanford University, where I worked with Ellen Markman on characterizing consequences of children's structural thinking. I attended the University of Chicago for my undergraduate, where I worked with Daniel Casasanto and Susan Goldin-Meadow. Outside of work, I can be found climbing, caving, and attending theater. 

JARED VASIL
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Email: jared dot vasil at nyu dot edu

I earned a PhD in Psychology from Duke University (Tomasello Lab). I study communication and cognition in young children. How do conceptual skills structure communication? And how does communication structure conceptualization? I use experiments and computer models to investigate these questions. Outside the lab, I enjoy reading, rock climbing, and running.

Research Assistants

Undergraduate

LAUREN CARON
Undergraduate Research Assistant

Hi! I am currently an undergraduate NYU student majoring in Psychology on the pre-med track. I am particularly interested in social and developmental psychology, particularly how early childhood experiences shape the way people view stereotypes and create biases that influence decision making. I am also interested in exploring mood and personality disorders. In my free time, I enjoy going to the beach, trying new restaurants, and watching horror movies.

NEELA RAO
Undergraduate Research Assistant

I’m a senior at NYU CAS majoring in Neural Science and minoring in Psychology and South Asian Studies. With experiences working with children in academic, medical, and behavioral settings, I know that I am truly drawn to the way that children think and behave. Specifically, I’m interested in both physiological and psychological aspects of how they navigate the world and people around them, forming relationships and opinions they carry into adolescence and beyond. In the future I hope to earn my PhD in Clinical Psychology and continue doing research while also being a clinician. In my free time, I love playing piano, making art, and indulging in reality TV!

YIJUN ZHOU
Undergraduate Research Assistant

Hi! I’m a current undergraduate student majoring in Applied Psychology with a minor in Linguistics. As a bilingual, I’ve experienced and remain deeply interested in how language leaves a unique imprint on human cognition, shaping the way we perceive and understand the world. Outside the lab, I enjoy spending time with my foster cat, exploring the city, and listening to true crime podcasts.

FANTAH CAMARA
Undergraduate Research Assistant

Hi! I am currently an undergraduate student at NYU majoring in Psychology on a pre-med track. I have always been interested psychology even before I knew what it actually was. My thoughts when I was younger would revolve around the way different factors in life would shape individuals to be unique. I look forward to seeing how children make sense of the world around them. In my free time I love to go see movies and find new places to eat.