The University of Chicago
Department of Psychology
5848 South University Avenue
Chicago, IL, 60637
Office: Green 517
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Leanne Beaudoin-Ryan
Background
Leanne Beaudoin-Ryan is a PhD candidate in Developmental Psychology at The University of Chicago. She received a B.A. in Psychology from Boston University in 1998, a M.A. from the Master of Arts Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS) in 2004 (M.A. Thesis: “Assessing the Social Interaction Patterns of Atypically Functioning/Autistic Toddlers using Hierarchical Sequential Analytical Techniques: A Pilot Study”), and a M.A. from the Department of Psychology at The University of Chicago in 2008 (Trial Research Thesis: “Examining the Implications of Educational Treatment Schedules on the Success Outcomes of Autistic Toddlers: A Pilot Study”).
Leanne is broadly interested in conceptual change across development. Specifically, Leanne is interested in how information produced in gesture contributes to conceptual change in both spatial and non-spatial domains. To this end, Leanne is working on her dissertation, tentatively titled: “What Children’s Hands Tell Them about Right and Wrong: The Role of Gesture in Abstract Concept Acquisition”, under the guidance of her advisor, Susan Goldin-Meadow, PhD. In another line of research, Leanne is also investigating how social factors, such as stereotype threat, impact learning in real-world classroom settings. To this end, she is collaborating with Sian Beilock, PhD and Susan Goldin-Meadow, PhD on a project which aims to determine whether gesture can be thought of as a mediator between stereotype threat and the successful acquisition of mathematical concepts, such as addition equivalence.
Research Interests
- Gesture
- Conceptual change in both spatial and non-spatial domains
- Stereotype threat and its impact on conceptual change
- Embodied Cognition
Teaching Experience
*All positions were teaching assistantships unless otherwise noted.
Graduate Level
Groups, Teams, & Leadership, Booth School of Business, University of Chicago
Power and Influence, Booth School of Business, University of Chicago
Early Socialization, Guest Lecturer
Undergraduate Level
Psychological Statistics
Mind, Teaching Intern (3 quarters), Graduate Student Lecturer (2 quarters)
Research Methods
Developmental Psychology
Developmental Psychology Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, Chicago
Fundamentals of Psychology
Analysis of Face to Face Interaction
Intern for Social Science Inquiry, 2010-2011
Recent Presentations
Beaudoin-Ryan, L., Goldin-Meadow, S., & Beilock, S.L. (2011, May). Gesture as a possible mechanism for stereotype threat. Poster presented at a National Science Foundation (NSF) site visit for the Spatial Intelligence & Learning Center (SILC), Chicago, Illinois.
Beaudoin-Ryan, L., Walsh, D., Olsen, J., Frusa, B., Pacheco, L., & Goldin-Meadow, S. (2009, October). Gesture and moral development. Poster presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Cognitive Development Society (CDS), San Antonio, TX.
