About the Program
The University of Chicago has long been a pioneer in the field of developmental science. With its renowned faculty and state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, the Developmental Psychology Program provides a rich environment for scientific inquiry, training, and mentorship.
Among the faculty, there is particular convergence in the areas of language and cognitive development. Our research on language acquisition spans a broad range of topics, including early vocabulary growth and word learning, the effects of language input on language development, the development of narrative and discourse abilities, and the development of the gestures that accompany speech. Our research on cognitive development includes studies of perceptual development, mathematical and spatial abilities in infants and children, the effects of school and home environments on cognitive development, the development of autobiographical memory, the development of infants' knowledge about objects, and infants' and children's concepts of intentional action. There are also thriving research programs in social and emotional development, including the development of emotional understanding and interactions between parents and children. In addition to these areas of research, a number of us investigate relations between multiple factors in development, for example relations between thought, language and culture, and relations between action, perception and cognition.
