Alison Gopnik Empirical Papers
Alison Gopnik Empirical Papers
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Causal relational problem solving in toddlers
Goddu, M. K., Yiu, E., & Gopnik, A. (2025). Causal relational problem solving in toddlers. Cognition, 254, 105959.
How do infants experience caregiving?
A. J. Thomas, C. M. Steele, A. Gopnik, & R. R. Saxe (In press). How do infants experience caregiving? Daedalus
Preschoolers’ comprehension of functional metaphors
R. Zhu, M. Goddu, L.Z. Zhu, & A. Gopnik. (In press). Preschoolers’ comprehension of functional metaphors. Open Mind.
Picture comprehension: Rural toddlers in Western Kenya
R. Zhu, H. Pitchick, T. Nduku, J. Engelmann, L. Fernald, & A. Gopnik. (2024, in press). The development of picture comprehension across early environments: Evidence from urban and rural toddlers in Western Kenya. Developmental Science.
Structural explanations rectify resource inequalities
N. Vasil, M. Srinivasan, M. E. Ellwood-Lowe, S. Delaney, A. Gopnik, & T. Lombrozo (2024). Structural explanations lead young children and adults to rectify resource inequalities. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology.
Preschoolers and adults metonymically extend proper names to owned objects
R. Zhu & A. Gopnik (2024). Preschoolers and adults metonymically extend proper names to owned objects. Child Development 95(1), 177-190.
Preschoolers search longer when there's more information to gain
A. Ruggeri, O. Stancio, M. Pelz, A. Gopnik, & E. Schulz (2024). Preschoolers search longer when there is more information to be gained. Developmental Science, 27, 1. https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.13411.
Preschoolers and adults learn from novel metaphors
R. Zhu & A. Gopnik, A. (2023). Preschoolers and adults learn from novel metaphors. Psychological Science. https://doi.org/10.1177/09567976231165267.
A cross-cultural comparison of Peruvian, mixed- and low-SES U.S. children
Wente, A. Gopnik, M. Fernández-Flecha, T. Garcia, & D. Buchsbaum (2022). Causal learning, counterfactual reasoning, and pretend play: A cross-cultural comparison of Peruvian, mixed- and low-socioeconomic status U.S. children. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society (B), Dec 19;377(1866):20210345. https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.13411.
Asking children for explanations facilitates relational thinking
Brockbank, E., Lombrozo, T., Gopnik, A., & Walker, C. M. (2022). Ask me why, don't tell me why: Asking children for explanations facilitates relational thinking. Developmental Science, e13274.
The development of creative search strategies
E. Y. Hart, E. Kosoy, E. G. Liquin, J. Leonard, A. Mackey, & A. Gopnik, (2022). The development of creative search strategies. Cognition, Volume 225, 105102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2022.105102.
How hypothesis space is represented
A. Jones, D. Markant, T. Pachur, A. Gopnik, & A. Ruggieri (2021). How the hypothesis space is represented. Evidence from young children’s active search and predictions in a multiple-cue inference task. Developmental Psychology 57(7), 1080-1093. doi: 10.1037/dev0001201
Culture Moderates the Relationship Between Self-Control Ability and Free Will Beliefs in Childhood
A. Zhao, A. Wente, M. Fernández-Flecha,, D. Segovia Galvan, A. Gopnik, & T. Kushnir (2021). Culture Moderates the Relationship Between Self-Control Ability and Free Will Beliefs in Childhood. Cognition.
Distinct signatures of task-unrelated and dynamic thoughts
J. Kam, Z. Irving, C. Mills, S. Patel, A. Gopnik, & R. Knight (2021). Distinct electrophysiological signatures of task-unrelated and dynamic thoughts. PNAS January 26, 2021 118 (4) e2011796118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2011796118
How to help young children ask better questions
A. Ruggeri, C. M. Walker, T. Lombrozo, & A. Gopnik (2020). How to help young children ask better questions. Frontiers in Psychology, DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.586819.
What does "mind-wandering" mean to the folk?
Z. C. Irving, V. Pinter, A. Gopnik, & C. Sripada (2020). What does "mind-wandering" mean to the folk? An empirical investigation. Cognitive Science.
Preschoolers identify causally relevant variables
M. Goddu & A. Gopnik (In Press). Learning what to change: Young children use “difference-making” to identify causally relevant variables. Developmental Psychology.
Causal Framing Improves Early Analogical Reasoning
M. Goddu, T. Lombrozo, & A. Gopnik (in press). Transformations and transfer: Preschool children understand abstract relations and reason analogically in a causal task. Child Development.
Sticking to the evidence? A case study in magnetism
E. Bonawitz, T. Ullman, S. Bridgers, A. Gopnik, & J. Tenenbaum (2019). Sticking to the evidence? A behavioral and computational case study of micro-theory change in the domain of magnetism. Cognitive Science, DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13299.
Shake it baby: Preschoolers adapt their exploratory strategies
A. Ruggeri, N. Swaboda, Z. L. Sim, & A. Gopnik (2019). Shake it baby, but only when needed: Preschoolers adapt their exploratory strategies to the statistical structure of the task. Cognition, 193(2019)104013:1-7. doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2019.104013
Young children are wishful thinkers
A. Wente, M. Goddo, T. Garcia, E. Posner, M. Flecha, & A. Gopnik (2019). Young children are wishful thinkers: The development of wishful thinking in 3- to 10-year-old children. Child Development, DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13299
L. Bass, A. Gopnik, M. Hanson, D. Ramarajan, P. Shafto, H. Wellman, & E. Bonawitz (2019). Pedagogy and theory of mind: The relationship between children's teaching and their reasoning about others. Developmental Psychology, 55(2):286-302. DOI: 10.1037/dev0000642
The development of structural thinking about social categories
N. Vasilyeva, A. Gopnik & T. Lombrozo (2018). The development of structural thinking about social categories. Developmental Psychology [preprint], 64,9:1735-1744. DOI: 10.1037/dev0000555
Rational higher-order belief revision in young children
Katherine Kimura & A. Gopnik (2018). Rational higher-order belief revision in young children. Child Development [preprint], DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13143
Explaining constrains causal learning in childhood
C. M. Walker, T. Lombrozo, J. J. Williams, A. N. Rafferty, & A. Gopnik (2017). Explaining Constrains Causal Learning in Childhood. Child Development, 88(1):229-246.
Discriminating relational and perceptual judgments
C. M. Walker, & A. Gopnik (2017). Discriminating relational and perceptual judgments: Evidence from human toddlers. Cognition, 166:23-27.
Causal learning across culture and socioeconomic status
A. O. Wente, K. Kimura, C. M. Walker, N. Banerjee, M. F. Flecha, B. MacDonald, C. Lucas, & A. Gopnik (2017). Causal learning across culture and socioeconomic status. Child Development, DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12943
Changes in cognitive flexibility and hypothesis search across human life history
A. Gopnik, S. O’Grady, C. G. Lucas, T. L. Griffiths, A. Wente, S. Bridgers, R. Aboody, H. Fung, & R. E. Dahl (2017). Changes in cognitive flexibility and hypothesis search across human life history from childhood to adolescence to adulthood. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(30):7892-7899.
Children’s causal inferences from conflicting testimony and observations
S. Bridgers, D. Buchsbaum, E. Seiver, T. Griffiths, & A. Gopnik (2016). Children’s causal inferences from conflicting testimony and observations. Developmental Psychology, 52(1):9-18.
Emergence and decline of relational reasoning
C. Walker, S. Bridgers, & A. Gopnik (2016). The early emergence and puzzling decline of relational reasoning: Effects of knowledge and search on inferring abstract concepts. Cognition, 156:30–40.
How universal are free will beliefs?
A. O. Wente, S. Bridgers, X. Zhao, E. Seiver, L. Zhu, & A. Gopnik (2016). How Universal Are Free Will Beliefs? Cultural Differences in Chinese and US 4‐and 6‐Year‐Olds. Child Development, 87(3):666-676.
Developing intuitions about free will
T. Kushnir, A, Gopnik, N. Chernyak, E. Seiver; H. Wellman (2015). Developing intuitions about free will between ages four and six. Cognition, 138:79-101.
Inferring action sructure and causal relationships
D. Buchsbaum, T. L. Griffiths, D. Plunkett, A. Gopnik, & D. Baldwin (2015). Inferring action structure and causal relationships in continuous sequences of human action. Cognitive Psychology, 76:30-77.
Explaining prompts children to privilege inductively rich properties
C. Walker, T. Lombrozo, C. Legare, & A. Gopnik (2014). Explaining prompts children to privilege inductively rich properties. Cognition, 133:343-357.
Causal learning from probabilistic events in 24-month-olds
A. Waismeyer, A. N. Meltzoff, & A. Gopnik (2015). Causal learning from probabilistic events in 24-month-olds: An action measure. Developmental Science, 18(1):175-182, DOI: 10.1111/desc.12208.
The child as econometrician: ...
C. G. Lucas, T. L. Griffiths, F. Xu, C. Fawcett, A. Gopnik, T. Kushnir, L. Markson, & J. Hu (2014). The child as econometrician: A rational model of preference understanding in children. PLOS ONE, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0092160.
Learning to learn from stories
C. Walker, A. Gopnik, & P. Ganea (2014). Learning to learn from stories: Children's developing sensitivity to the causal structure of fictional worlds. Child Development, DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12287.
E. Bonawitz, S. Denison, A. Gopnik, & T. L. Griffiths (2014). Win-Stay, Lose-Sample: A simple sequential algorithm for approximating Bayesian inference. Cognitive Psychology, 74:35-65, DOI: 10.1016/j.cogpsych.2014.06.003.
Of babies and birds: complex tool behaviours ...
A. Taylor, L. Cheke, A. Waismeyer, A. Meltzolf, R. Miller, A. Gopnik, N. Clayton, & R. Gray (2014). Of babies and birds: Complex tool behaviours are not sufficient for the evolution of the ability to create a novel causal intervention. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 281:20140837, published 11 June 2014.
When children are better learners than adults: learning the forms of causal relationships
C. G. Lucas, S. Bridgers, T. L. Griffiths, & A. Gopnik (2014). When children are better (or at least more open-minded) learners than adults: Developmental differences in learning the forms of causal relationships. Cognition 131:284-299.
Rational variability in children's causal inference: The Sampling Hypothesis
S. Denison, E. Bonawitz, A. Gopnik, & T. Griffiths (2013). Rational variability in children's causal inference: The Sampling Hypothesis. Cognition 126(2):285-300.
Did she jump because ...? Causal inference and the development of social attribution
E. Seiver, A. Gopnik, A, & N. Goodman (2013). Did she jump because she was the big sister or because the trampoline was safe? Causal inference and the development of social attribution. Child Development Mar./Apr. 2013, 84:443-454.
18-30-month-olds infer higher-order relational principles in causal learning
Walker C.M. & A. Gopnik (in press (2013)). 18-30-month-olds infer higher-order relational principles in causal learning. Psychological Science 24 pages.
Scientific thinking in young children
A. Gopnik (2012). Scientific thinking in young children. Theoretical advances, empirical research and policy implications. Science 28 Sept. 2012, 337:1623-1627.
Probabilistic causal reasoning in young children
A. Waisman, A. Meltzoff, & A. Gopnik (2012). Probabilistic causal reasoning in young children. Presented at International Conference on Infancy Studies, Minnesota.
Learning about causes from people
A. N. Meltzoff, A. Waismeyer, & A. Gopnik (2012). Learning about causes from people: Observational causal learning in 24-month-olds. Developmental Psychology DOI: 10.1037/a0027440.
Infants learn about objects from statistics and people
R. Wu, A. Gopnik, D. C. Richardson, & N. Z. Kirkham (2011). Infants learn about objects from statistics and people. Developmental Psychology 47(5):1220-1229.
Bayes and Blickets: Effects of knowledge on causal induction ...
T. L. Griffiths, D. Sobel, J. B. Tenenbaum & A. Gopnik (2011). Bayes and Blickets: Effects of knowledge on causal induction in children and adults. Cognitive Science 35(8):1407-1455.
Children's Imitation of Causal Action Sequences
D. Buchsbaum, A. Gopnik, T.L. Griffiths, & P. Shafto (2011). Children's imitation of causal action sequences is influenced by statistical and pedagogical evidence. Cognition 120(3):331-340.
Developmental differences in causal learning
C. G. Lucas, A. Gopnik, & T. L. Griffiths (2010). When children are better (or at least more open-minded) learners than adults: Developmental differences in learning the forms of causal relationships. In Proceedings of the 32nd Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society, S. Ohlsson, R. Catrambone, Eds.(Cognitive Science Society, Austin, Tex.), 28-52.
Just do it? Investigating the gap between prediction and action ...
E. B. Bonawitz, D. Ferranti, R. Saxe, A. Gopnik, A. N. Meltzoff, J. Woodward, & L. E. Schulz (2010). Just do it? Investigating the gap between prediction and action in toddlers' causal inferences. Cognition 115:104-117.
Inferring hidden causal structure
T. Kushnir, A. Gopnik, C. Lucas, & L. Schulz (2010). Inferring hidden causal structure. Cognitive Science 34:148-160.
The blicket within: Preschoolers' inferences about insides and causes
D. Sobel, C. Yoachim, A. Gopnik, A. Meltzoff, & E.Blumenthal (2007). The blicket within: Preschoolers' inferences about insides and causes. Journal of Cognition and Development 8(2):159-182.
Preschool children learn about causal structure from conditional interventions
L. Schulz, A. Gopnik, & C. Glymour (2007). Preschool children learn about causal structure from conditional interventions. Developmental Science (special section on Bayesian and Bayes-Net approaches to development) 10(3):322-332.
Conditional probability versus spatial contiguity in causal learning: ...
T. Kushnir, & A. Gopnik (2007). Conditional probability versus spatial contiguity in causal learning: Preschoolers use new contingency evidence to overcome prior spatial assumptions. Developmental Psychology. 43(1):186-196.
Young children infer causal strength from probabilities and interventions
T. Kushnir & A. Gopnik (2005). Young children infer causal strength from probabilities and interventions. Psychological Science 16(9):678-683.
Children's causal inferences from indirect evidence
D. Sobel, J. Tenenbaum & A. Gopnik (2004). Children’s causal inferences from indirect evidence: Backwards blocking and Bayesian reasoning in preschoolers. Cognitive Science 28(3):303-333.
Causal learning across domains
L. Schulz & A. Gopnik (2004). Causal learning across domains. Developmental Psychology 40(2):162-176.
T. Kushnir, A. Gopnik, L Schulz, & D. Danks (2003). Inferring hidden causes. In R. Alterman & D. Kirsch (eds), Proceedings of the Twenty-Fourth Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society. Cognitive Science Society: Boston MA.
Sorting and acting with objects in early childhood: ...
T. Nazzi & A. Gopnik (2003). Sorting and acting with objects in early childhood: an exploration of the use of causal cues. Cognitive Development 18:219-237.
Causal learning mechanisms in very young children: ...
A. Gopnik, D. Sobel, L. Schulz, & C. Glymour (2001). Causal learning mechanisms in very young children: Two, three, and four-year-olds infer causal relations from patterns of variation and covariation. Developmental Psychology 37(5):620-629.