The research is a continuation of work begun under a National Institutes of Health grant to Dr. Lillard to examine young children's understanding of pretense. This issue has recently become of critical interest in the realm of early social understanding, as many think pretending might be the venue by which understanding the mind proceeds. Dr. Lillard's past work suggests that children do not in fact have a good grasp of the mental underpinnings of pretense, whereas some very recent work coming from other laboratories suggests perhaps they do. The four research studies being carried out are designed to address these discrepancies. The interactive activities include a speaker series bringing five top women psychologists to the department, and a discussion series for women graduate students addressing professional development issues pertinent to women in psychology. Dr. Lillard will also run a graduate level seminar on pretend play and understanding the mind.
