MEET THE LAB

DEEPTHI KAMAWAR

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR, Ph.D.

My research interests focus on a range of issues related to young children’s cognitive development. In my lab, we examine 4- to 6-year-olds’ developing ability to think about the future (future-oriented cognition), specifically focusing on their developing ability to save. We are also interested in their developing Executive Function skills (inhibition, cognitive flexibility) and how such skills contribute to other cognitive achievements. We also examine children’s ability to understand that people’s minds represent the world in particular ways (which may or may not be correct), and it is on the basis of these representations that we predict or explain behaviour (a broad area known as Theory of Mind). Other research has examined the developmental progression of a variety of representation types (e.g., symbols). Our research also examines children’s developing notion of ‘intention’ (purposeful behaviour), and how considerations of intention affect moral evaluations.

KENDA PARSONS

I recently completed my undergraduate thesis on bilingual literacy acquisition. My research interests include children's understanding of saving, language acquisition, and developmental representations of time.

ELLEN DOUCET

I am currently a PhD student and research assistant in the Children's Representational Development Lab. I completed my MA in 2020 under the supervision of Dr. Kamawar with a focus on future-oriented thinking in 4- to 6-year old children. I am currently involved in all studies in the lab, but my main area of interest is children's saving behaviour. More specifically, I am interested in factors that affect children's ability to consider and save for their future selves, such as temporal cognition, inhibition, delay of gratification, numerical cognition, and other cognitive factors.

RONESSA DASS

Ronessa Dass is a fourth year undergraduate Cognitive Science student. She is helping out with the Future Thinking study.

VIVIAN RIGG

I am a recent graduate of Carleton University with an B.A. degree in Psychology, minor in Neuroscience. I completed my honours thesis under Dr. Kamawar’s supervision, examining preschooler’s moral development in relation to their theory of mind. As a research assistant in her lab, I have worked on several studies related to children’s future-oriented cognition, with a focus on learning about preschooler’s developing saving abilities. It’s a fascinating area of research!

ADRIANNA SPOEREL-CONNELLY

My research interest relates to preschool children’s development of future-oriented thinking, specifically around saving. I recently completed my undergraduate thesis on preschool children’s understanding of saving, specifically saving a resource versus saving a representation of a resource. Additionally, I examined whether parents’ perception of their children’s saving behaviour and their own saving attitudes and behaviours relate to preschool children’s saving performance. I am currently a research assistant in the lab, helping to conduct the Savings Stories Study.