Rebecca Zhu

Screenshot of paper title

Our position paper is now out: "Learning Variability Network Exchange (LEVANTE): A Global Framework for Measuring Children's Learning Variability Through Collaborative Data Sharing".

srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
(preprint: osf.io/preprints/ps...)

What is LEVANTE? 🧵

This work was made possible by my amazing collaborators and supervisors, Tabitha Nduku Kilonzo, @janengelmann.bsky.social, and @alisongopnik.bsky.social 🦒

These findings tentatively suggest that picture-based assessments may sometimes underestimate children’s capacities, particularly in some global contexts where children may have relatively little experience with pictures.

My final project from grad school is out now in Dev Psych! Mombasa County preschoolers were more accurate on object-based than picture-based vocabulary assessments, whereas Bay Area preschoolers were equally accurate on object-based and picture-based assessments.

psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?d...

Presentation list for language and cognition lab at CogSci 2025.

Looking forward to #cogsci2025 next week - here's a list of presentations from my lab!

🚨 Postdoc Opportunity!!!
The Toronto Early Cognition Lab (@UofT) is hiring a postdoc to study early optimism in infants & young children.
Work w/ multi-method approach, amazing undergrads & grads.
Start: Fall 2025 or later.
Details: jessica.sommerville@utoronto.ca
RTs appreciated 💫

Sometimes when I am having a bad day I remember that after my TED talk in 2016 this woman mobbed me afterwards and threw herself on me with the hugest hug saying "Oh my god you were incredible and inspirational I want to BE you"

It was Cher

We are seeking a Research Scientist for a large-scale project on developmental data collection with children ages 2-12 called LEVANTE (Learning Variability Network Exchange). LEVANTE is a global research network to improve our understanding of variability in learning and development through coordinated data collection. The project is funded by the Jacobs Foundation; learn more at http://levante-network.org. This position is a mix of scientific work and work with a software development team: we are looking for someone to act as the interface between the scientific goals of the project and our team of ~6 software engineers who work to implement different aspects of our web platform including researcher management, tasks and surveys, and data processing. We expect the role to be ideal for someone with technical experience from their scientific work and an interest in building good tools for other scientists through software development. This position is appropriate for recent PhD grads and candidates with postdoctoral experience; exact title and compensation will be relative to experience post-PhD. The RS will contribute to – and have the opportunity to lead on – research products including papers and presentations. The LEVANTE team is a large and lively group pushing the boundaries of cross-cultural developmental measurement through a combination of technical innovation and psychometrics. The RS will also be part of the Language and Cognition Lab at Stanford, a broad interdisciplinary group interested in using data to understand human development.

Requirements for the position include: - some kind of scientific software development experience (examples include developing experiments, computational models, or complex data analyses) - theoretical knowledge of psychology or a related discipline (e.g., cognitive science, neuroscience), ideally doing behavioral measurements of some kind - project management experience on a technical or scientific project with multiple participants Additional optional qualifications include: - experience with modern database-backed web applications - experience with measure development or psychometrics - R data analysis experience Applicants should submit a current CV, a short (~1 page) coverletter stating their qualifications for the position, and a link to a github account (preferred) or other code sample.

We're still accepting apps for our research scientist position with LEVANTE (levante-network.org). This position is ideal for folks wanting to be the interface between a cool scientific project and an awesome team of software developers. Think of it as a technical product manager, but for science!

Now hiring for two lab manager positions at Stanford! Hyo Gweon and I are coordinating joint searches since our labs collaborate frequently. Please join us!

careersearch.stanford.edu/jobs/researc...
and
careersearch.stanford.edu/jobs/lab-coo...

I started data collection for this project in 2015, so this paper is literally a decade in the making. I’m so grateful to Susan Carey, a brilliant and generous mentor who encouraged me to pursue my own project as a lab manager, and then encouraged me to write it up as a solo author years later.

Preschoolers Represent Abstract Relations Predicated on Kind Membership Abstract. Recent work demonstrates that U.S. preschoolers can represent the abstract relational concepts same and different when these abstract relational concepts are predicated upon perceptual dimen...

New year, new paper! 4- and 5-year-olds can represent abstract relations (i.e., sameness and difference) predicated on an abstract dimension (i.e., kind membership) in a relational match-to-sample task. Moreover, noun label training facilitates task performance.

direct.mit.edu/opmi/article...

CogSci 2025 Call for Reviewers CogSci is looking for abstract reviewers for the 2025 conference in San Francisco. If you are interested in this role, please complete the following form. If you have any questions, please contact cog...

Want to review for #CogSci2025? Click this thing. @cogscisociety.bsky.social
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Obituary: Kristian Tylén had a unique combination of intellect, creativity and collaborative spirit Aarhus University has lost an ingenious scientist and a generous friend and mentor for his colleagues and students.

RIP Kristian Tylén. I had been unaware of his illness so this really took me by surprise today. A real loss to the field, to his family, and to humanity.
arts.au.dk/en/news-and-...

The Development of Picture Comprehension Across Early Environments: Evidence From Urban and Rural Toddlers in Western Kenya Early childhood researchers frequently use learning materials and assessments involving pictures, across different cultures and contexts. However, there is variation in when and how children across c...

New registered report out in Developmental Science! We find a positive relation between urban western Kenyan toddlers’ picture experience and their performance on a picture-based word learning task, but no relation in a similar rural sample.

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

This position is a PhD-level position, with the expectation that the RS will contribute to – and have the opportunity to lead on – research products including papers and presentations. The RS will also be part of the Language and Cognition Lab at Stanford, a broad interdisciplinary group interested in using data to understand human development. Ideal qualifications/experiences for the position include: - creating behavioral experiments (ideally for children), with attention to the small details of the participants' experience in the experiment - psychological measurement and/or psychometrics (including item response theory and/or adaptive testing) - software development using version control and project management software - web-development, including javascript/HTML/CSS, cloud-based hosting, and modern frameworks (e.g., react.js) - experience working with teams and an orientation towards managing a small team of engineers working on the project (e.g. scrum)

Do you like building great tools for behavioral measurement? We are seeking a Research Scientist to act as the tasks lead and engineering manager for a large-scale project on developmental data collection with children ages 2-12 called LEVANTE: levante-network.org.

The Psychology Department at Stanford is searching for an assistant professor whose work focuses on affective science. Please apply and/or forward to your networks! facultypositions.stanford.edu/en-us/job/49...

Preschoolers’ Comprehension of Functional Metaphors Abstract. Previous work suggests that preschoolers often misunderstand metaphors. However, some recent studies demonstrate that preschoolers can represent abstract relations, suggesting that the cogni...

New paper with Mariel Goddu, Lily Zihui Zhu, and @alisongopnik.bsky.social, now out at Open Mind! In three experiments, we show that 4- and 5-year-olds can understand metaphors based on abstract, functional similarities.

direct.mit.edu/opmi/article...

People are really good at creating conventions - new ways of talking - during dialogues. But what happens in larger groups? And what about when people can only respond using 😁?!

New paper by Veronica Boyce, Robert Hawkins, Noah Goodman, and me, now out:

www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Homepage - Levante

Introducing LEVANTE, a project for measuring children's developmental and learning variability around the world! LEVANTE provides a measurement platform with data flowing to an open repository. In August, the Jacobs Foundation will make a call for proposals to use these tools!

levante-network.org

Laboratory Coordinator - 128818 Apply for Laboratory Coordinator - 128818 position at UC San Diego in La Jolla, California on https://employment.ucsd.edu/

📣 I'm hiring a lab coordinator! This position is ideal for someone looking for research experience before applying to graduate school.

Deadline is April 1st—flexible summer start date. Details and instructions below! employment.ucsd.edu/laboratory-c...

📣 Now hiring for two positions at the (newly minted) Mind & Culture Lab at Duke University! I'm seeking a full-time lab manager & a full-time postdoctoral associate to join the team, ideally this August (flexible). See below for more information and QR codes to access the application portals.

Proud of you 👏👏🎉🐱

Hey cognitive development folks - anyone tried having 5-8 year olds do online tasks with either mouse/trackpad responses or arrow key responses? Do you have an opinion on the issues with either? Trying to design tasks for kids on different platforms (inc. computer as well as tablet).

In addition to sending to @shariliu.bsky.social, if anyone wants to share their Dev Psych teaching tools more broadly -- send them to us and we'll set up an open repository! #devpsych #openscience

Hi Bluesky! I’m recruiting PhD students to help launch the Exploration, Learning, and Mind Lab at U of New Hampshire Psych in Fall 2024!

Check out our lab website at liquinlab.github.io for more info, and feel free to get in touch if you’re interested in applying!

#CogSci #DevPsych #PsychSciSky

Very cool, will take a look! Thanks Marianna :)