Our Labs
We are a group of four developmental labs in the Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences Department at Brown Univeristy who study how children learn and think about the world around us.
Hover over each lab logo to learn more about them, and visit their website!
The Language and Thought Lab studies how humans use language to generate and understand new thoughts, judge their truth, and reason through related ideas. We explore whether language simply communicates thought or plays a fundamental role in shaping how we think and learn.
Principal Investigator: Roman Feiman
Lab Manager: Amanda Martino
Contact: blt-lab@brown.edu
The Causality and Mind Lab studies children’s cognitive development, exploring how they learn about the everyday world and how those interactions shape their understanding of science, as well as how they reason about others’ thoughts and social concepts.
Principal Investigator: Dave Sobel
Lab Manager: Gabriella Modesti
Contact: causalitylab@brown.edu
The Computational Cognitive Developement Lab studies how humans and animals, particularly dogs, learn about causal relationships and social behavior, even when faced with limited or conflicting information. Using experimental and computational methods, we explore the development of these cognitive abilities, and how simple perceptions give rise to complex reasoning.
Principal Investigator: Daphna Buchsbaum
Lab Manager: Remy Frost
Contact: cocodev@brown.edu
The Mind & Morality Lab studies the development of moral and social cognition, focusing on how concepts like fairness and justice emerge in childhood. Using experimental and cross-cultural research with children and adults, the lab examines both universal patterns and cultural variations in moral reasoning.
Principal Investigator: Julia Marshall
Lab Manager: Fiametta Boffey
Contact: mindmoralitylab@brown.edu