Thrilled to share my article—and cover!—for this month’s Trends in Cognitive Sciences: “The Cognitive Origins of Geometry.” From wandering in the world to triangles in the mind! 🔺 www.cell.com/trends/cogni...
Moira (Molly) Dillon
@moiradillon.bsky.social
Assistant Professor at NYU Psychology 👩🔬 🧠 investigating the origins and development of abstract thought
I put forward an alternative to the language-of-thought hypothesis for geometry, the Wanderers Hypothesis for Geometry: Human geometry may originate from the interaction between ancient, navigation-like mental processes that approximate Euclidean geometry and our human capacity for natural language.
Trends in Cognitive Sciences@cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social · 6mo agoOnline Now: The cognitive origins of geometry
Il est arrivé… « Le Rectangle de Lascaux »rencontre le triangle des Éditions Odile Jacob ! Sortie en librairie mercredi 28 janvier. @editionsodilejacob.bsky.social @cnrs.fr @inserm.fr @college-de-france.fr @cedricvillani.bsky.social @davidbessis.bsky.social
In the first Kempner Seminar Series talk of the semester @moiradillon.bsky.social of New York University discusses the cognitive origins of spatial and social intelligence. Watch the talk: youtu.be/YcgOj1wZVkg #psychology #cogsci #KempnerInstitute
Developing Intelligence: Insights from Spatial and Social Cognition with Moira Dillon
YouTube video by Kempner Institute at Harvard University
youtu.be
The Open Encyclopedia of Cognitive Science (OECS) now features over 100 published articles! Editors-in-Chief @mcxfrank.bsky.social & @asifamajid.bsky.social share their vision for this open, online reference developed to guide the next generation of exploration in cognition & intelligence:
A conversation with the editors of the Open Encyclopedia of Cognitive Science
Editors-in-Chief Michael C. Frank and Asifa Majid share their vision for the Open Encyclopedia of Cognitive Science as it surpasses 100 published articles.
mitpress.mit.edu
When do girls fall behind in maths? Gigantic study pinpoints the moment https://go.nature.com/4l1nC4g
I could not be more thrilled! 🧠 That the award is named in Lila Gleitman's honor makes it all the more meaningful. Thanks to the prize committee and to my lab @ldm-nyu.bsky.social, my colleagues, my mentors, and the NSF for their support. Thanks especially to all the infant and child participants! 👶
Cognitive Science Society@cogscisociety.bsky.social · 2y agoHuge congratulations to @moiradillon.bsky.social, recipient of the 2025 Lila R. Gleitman Prize! She’s a Ph.D from @harvard.edu and an Assistant Professor of Psychology at @nyu.edu. Learn about all her career and academic achievements at cognitivesciencesociety.org/gleitman-prize/ #GleitmanPrize
Nature research paper: Children’s arithmetic skills do not transfer between applied and academic mathematics https://go.nature.com/40PT3pT
Children’s arithmetic skills do not transfer between applied and academic mathematics - Nature
Children who learn maths working in markets and children who learn maths only from school were both unable to transfer their skills to new contexts, highlighting a need to reconsider how maths is taught in school.
go.nature.com
Paper published‼️ "15-month-olds’ understanding of imitation in social and instrumental contexts" 🚼 by Shannon Yasuda, Wenjie Li, Deisy Martinez, @brendenlake.bsky.social, and me in @infantstudies.bsky.social!
15‐Month‐Olds’ Understanding of Imitation in Social and Instrumental Contexts
From early in development, humans use imitation to express social engagement, to understand social affiliations, and to learn from others. Nevertheless, the social and instrumental goals that drive i...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Happy to share that I've taken on the role of Associate Editor 📝 for the relaunch of 🧠 Perspectives on Psychological Science 🧠 under the wonderful leadership of @draehernandez.bsky.social! Please send along your work in Developmental and/or Cognitive Psychology! @psychscience.bsky.social
Are you curious about the latest on what infants know about geometry? 👶 📐Check out the preprint of my forthcoming chapter, "Infant Geometry," for the @oxunipress.bsky.social Handbook on Perceptual Development! osf.io/preprints/ps...
OSF
osf.io
📢 Paper published📢 "Seeing the Forest but Naming the Trees: An Object-Over-Place Bias in Learning Noun Labels" is now out in Open Mind w/ Yi Lin! t.co/UIL5Qq10CF
https://direct.mit.edu/opmi/article/doi/10.1162/opmi_a_00154/124074/Seeing-the-Forest-but-Naming-the-Trees-An-Object
t.co
Thinking about pros and cons of collecting data from kids online? Our meta-analysis is out today. Effects from online testing were slightly but not significantly smaller than matched in-lab effects: d = −.05 [−.17, .07]. By Aaron Chuey, Veronica Boyce, and Anjie Cao. direct.mit.edu/opmi/article...
Conducting Developmental Research Online vs. In-Person: A Meta-Analysis
Abstract. An increasing number of psychological experiments with children are being conducted using online platforms, in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Individual replications have compared the fi...
direct.mit.edu
Paper published! 📜 Check out my longer-format commentary, "Divisive language" in BBS. I explore the relation between core knowledge 👶🧠 and language 💬 in response to Elizabeth Spelke's spectacular book 📘, "What babies know" bit.ly/4cCN0co
Divisive language | Behavioral and Brain Sciences | Cambridge Core
Divisive language - Volume 47
bit.ly
🔔 Preprint alert! 🔔 "15-month-olds’ understanding of imitation in social and instrumental contexts" by Shannon Yasuda, Wenjie Li, Deisy Martinez, Brenden Lake, and me! osf.io/preprints/ps... 1/6
OSF
osf.io
Join us! 🧠💭👶 My lab @ldm-nyu.bsky.social is looking for a new lab manager! Use the Interfolio link for more details and to apply (for full consideration, please apply by March 1): apply.interfolio.com/140778
🚨 Publication Alert! 🚨 Now out in Mind, Brain, and Education: "Common Content, Philosophy, and Programming Support Thriving Collaborations Between Cognitive Science Labs and Museums" by me and MoMath Director, Cindy Lawrence! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Common Content, Philosophy, and Programming Support Thriving Collaborations Between Cognitive Scienc...
University research labs focusing on education, psychology, and cognitive development have been collaborating with museums more and more over the past decade. Cognitive science labs, which focus more....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
📣 Paper published! 📣 Now out in JEP:G with @ldm-nyu.bsky.social postdoc Yi Lin: "We are Wanderers: Abstract geometry reflects spatial navigation"! 📐🌎 Since antiquity, geometry has been a model of human abstract thought. Where do our ideas about geometry come from? psycnet.apa.org/record/2024-...
psycnet.apa.org
The call for applications for the Jacobs Foundation Research Fellowship Program is now open! 🎉 For more information about the eligibility criteria and how to apply, click here: bit.ly/3t0QB2F
2024 Call for Applications: Jacobs Foundation Research Fellowship Program - Jacobs Foundation
Deadline for submission: January 21, 2024. The Jacobs Foundation is pleased to announce the 2024 call for applications for its Research Fellowship Program. The Jacobs Foundation Research Fellowship Pr...
bit.ly
What language devises, it might divide! Excited to share a preprint of my commentary for Behavioral and Brain Sciences on Elizabeth Spelke's masterful book, "What Babies Know." I use geometry to explore the relations among core knowledge, language, and abstract thought 👶 💬 #PsycSciSky #DevScienceSky
osf.io