Stanford Psychology Podcast 152 - Laura Schulz: The journey of becoming a cognitive scientist and what babies and children have taught us about their cognition (REAIR)
May 9, 2025
Laura Schulz, a Professor of Cognitive Sciences at MIT and director of the Early Childhood Cognition Lab, shares her journey into cognitive science. She discusses how children learn through play and their remarkable abilities in causal reasoning and emotional understanding. Laura highlights the importance of open collaboration in research, particularly through the Lookit platform that connects families to cognitive studies. She also emphasizes systemic improvements in early childhood education to support disadvantaged children, blending science with practical educational insights.
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Children's Learning Mechanisms
- Children learn rapidly from limited data by making abstract inferences guided by innate constraints.
- Children's own goals and exploration influence how they acquire knowledge and learn efficiently.
Laura Schulz's Diverse Journey
- Laura Schulz described her diverse journey from philosophy to youth work before becoming a cognitive scientist.
- Her experience working with children in informal settings taught her to design experiments that feel playful and engaging.
PhD Challenges and Opportunities
- Laura commuted from Portland to UC Berkeley for her PhD while raising a family, benefiting from flexible arrangements.
- Testing in Portland preschools offered unique access to young participants without competition from other cognitive scientists.
