Deepthi Kamawar (On Leave)

Research Interests

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.