Current Research

 Metacognition 

Metacognition is the ability to introspect about our cognitions or "think about our thinking". We are particularly interested in understanding how children and adults think about their memories. Some of our research questions around this topic include: 

• When does metacognition develop and how does it change throughout childhood and adolescence?
• How does metacognition guide future decisions and actions?
• How can we improve metacognition? 
• Is metacognition similar across different types of material and domains?

 Information-seeking

We often receive or seek out reliable recommendations and help from others, such as a friend, family member, or teacher. In our research we are interested in exploring how this type of information from our environment is incorporated during learning and retrieval. Some of our research questions around this topic include: 

• Can children and adults appropriately incorporate helpful recommendations into their memory decisions?
• How and when do children seek information during their learning? 
• What type of information-seeking leads to the greatest learning benefits?
• How does asking for help during learning influence academic achievement? 

 Value and Learning Strategies 

During learning, some information may be more important or valuable to remember than other information. Our research is interested in understanding how learning strategies, including selectively remembering important information, develop throughout childhood. Some of our research questions around this topic include: 

• When do children learn to strategically prioritize learning information that is most important or valuable? 
• What mechanisms support strategic learning?
• How can we scaffold students' ability to engage in strategic learning? 

List of Publications

Open Science and Resources