Developmental psychologist taking a social cognitive approach to peer pressure

People are often told to “be themselves,” but the social world pushes us to do the opposite. To lead successful social lives, we must learn to strategically present ourselves and cultivate our reputations. My research explores how we learn to do this, and what we think of those who engage in strategic social behavior. To understand how this complex reasoning comes online, most of my work examines these questions in childhood (ages 4 to 11), but I also conduct research with adults. 

I earned my undergraduate degree in Psychology with a minor in Education Studies from Wesleyan University. As a student at a small liberal arts college, I had the opportunity to work in psychology labs, where I conducted research under the mentorship of Hilary Barth and Steven Stemler. I loved using science to gain answers to my curiosities, so I became a Research Coordinator at Yale University, where I worked with Paul Bloom and Yarrow Dunham. Throughout my academic career, I have carried this collaborative approach into my work with my undergraduates, and I look forward to continuing to mentor students in my next position.