Social Cognition Lab, University of Miami

Got a ‘Little Lawyer’ at Home? Their Rule-Bending Might Be a Social Strength A new study finds that when young kids find loopholes, or sneaky work-arounds, for instructions, they must apply advanced social and language skills

When children find loopholes for instructions, they apply advanced social & language skills
www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-...

The Body’s Band: How Heart and Brain Communicate Illustration of a person with vitiligo practicing yoga, sitting cross-legged and stretching an arm over their head. In a thought bubble, a smiling brain sings into a microphone and a heart plays a dru...

🧠🫀 New from our lab on Frontiers for Young Minds:

Ever wondered how the heart and brain communicate? Think the heart as the drummer 🥁 & the brain as the singer 🎤 keeping the body's band in tune!

Read here (for ages 8–15): kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2025.1536787/full
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Six smiling babies. Background has cartoon pumpkin pie and fall leaves.

Thanks to these cute pumpkins for supporting science! 🎃 Want to learn more? Visit: scl.psy.miami.edu/for-parents/
#ScienceMatters #KidScience #Fall2025

Our lab director wrote a new paper. Thanks to all the families who contributed to these discoveries!

Seven smiling women in two rows on red couch with colorful bird painting in the background.

Meet our fabulous fall 2025 team! 💚🧡 Back row: Nashmia, Arushi, Shuo, Tiffany. Front row: Anastassia, Georgia, Isa. #WomenInSTEM #DevelopmentalScience #UMiami

Can adults be trained to better recognize and avoid sick faces? New research from the Department of Psychology at the University of Miami looks at the efficacy of training adults to recognize sick faces.

Can adults be trained to better recognize and avoid sick faces? New research findings from our lab, led by PhD student Tiffany Leung (@Tiffany6390.bsky.social)! @UMiamiPsych.bsky.social @UnivMiami.bsky.social #SickSelfie news.miami.edu/as/stories/2...

scl.psy.miami.edu/for-parents/... #MiamiBaby #MiamiKid #UMiami #BabyCane #FutureCane #ScienceMatters

Smiling child photo next to smiling woman photo

Welcome to our #BabyCanes team, Anastassia Somerville! She’s a junior studying psyc. From Santiago, Chile, moved to Miami when she was 10 & loves it. Passionate about understanding human behavior. Enjoys traveling, staying active, & exploring new matcha spots with family & friends.

INTERESTED IN APPLYING TO OUR DOCTORAL PROGRAMS?

Applications for Fall 2026 admission will be accepted from September 01, 2025 - December 01, 2025.

ALL application materials must be received no later than DECEMBER 01, 2025.

psy.miami.edu/graduate/how...

Newborns may have innate sense of prosocial behaviour | BPS Newborn babies seem able to distinguish between prosocial and non-social behaviour in new study, though questions remain.

How early can we tell if someone (or something) is behaving in a prosocial way? A new study suggests that we may have the ability from birth: www.bps.org.uk/research-dig...

Kids and family festival. In benefit of I am MDC fundraising drive. Sat, Aug 16, 10am. Open to the public. Learn, play, and grow! Kids activities, business expo, bounce houses, giveaways, performances, face painting, food, and more! Until supplies last. Free entrance. 1780 West 49th Street, Hialeah, Florida 33012.

Flyer in Spanish. Pics of kids having fun.

Kids & Family Festival is tomorrow — Learn about our paid research studies for kids & spin our fun wheel to win a prize! ✨ Miami Dade College - Hialeah Campus #MiamiKid #UMiami #ScienceMatters

Infants show lower stress when carried by mothers instead of being in a stroller, study finds New research shows that infants carried in chest carriers had lower stress levels and slept longer than those in strollers. The study also found that mothers felt less stressed indoors, suggesting differences in how environments and closeness affect parent-infant well-being.

Infants show lower stress when carried by mothers instead of being in a stroller, study finds

First page of newsletter (preview), mostly text. Click link.

We are pleased to share with you the Summer 2025 UM Department of Psychology Newsletter.

Read here: www.yumpu.com/en/document/...

Six smiling infants surrounded by a seashell border. Says thank you in the middle.

Discover summer fun while supporting science! 🐚 Learn about online and in-person studies for kids: umiami.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_... #MiamiBaby #SummerVibes

Picture of a baby poking out their tongue. University of Miami Infant and Child Studies. Help us learn about children’s social development! Eligibility: ages 0-10. Online and in person studies in Miami. Earn up to $50 per visit. Email us: SCL@ Miami.edu. Text or call us: 305-349-3351.

Appointments available - Reserve one for your child & #SupportScience at #UMiami! #ScienceMatters umiami.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

#PsychSciSky #ScienceMatters #WomenInSTEM #BlackInSTEM

Coping with loss. The six s’s: caregiver strategies for supporting children after natural disasters. CAMAT sends our deepest condolences to the victims of the devastating floods in Texas. We suggest these strategies to help caregivers guide their children through these challenging times.

1. Safety & security. In times of danger and uncertainty, it is especially important for children to feel a sense of safety and security from their caregivers. Children may benefit from reminders about adults’ ability to protect them. It may be helpful to distinguish between “kid worries” and “adult worries” to help children focus on the smaller things in their control. 2. Simple & straightforward language. While it is important to consider whether too much heavy information can overwhelm children, it is equally important to provide opportunities to process their concerns. Using age-appropriate language can help children approach difficult information with more clarity. Try offering helpful vocabulary for children to use when discussing heavy topics.

3. Supervision. Too much exposure to media can quickly turn helpful awareness into unhelpful fear. It is important for caregivers to monitor their children’s exposure to the news, either by limiting their access or by inviting them to watch with family and ask questions that may arise. 4. Structure. Children benefit from a sense of structure within their daily living, especially during times of chaos and uncertainty. Whenever possible, implementing regular routines and practices can help provide a sense of stability. Try to maintain similar practices to before the event in order to provide a sense of normalcy among this major change.

5. Social support. Major changes and tragedies can lead to feelings of isolation in children, especially in the event of having to suddenly relocate. Finding ways for children to connect with friends and family— whether in person or through virtual means—can offer immense support to children in times of devastation. 6. Self care. In balancing the responsibilities of parenting with the demands of sudden change, it can be easy for caregivers’ own wellbeing to slip under the radar. Caregivers are able to provide the best support when their own needs are fulfilled, and it is important that adults take the time to ensure their own mental wellbeing by engaging in hobbies or reaching out for additional support.

Repost @CAMATatUM: Our hearts are with all of those impacted by the devastating floods in Texas over this past weekend. For caregivers unsure how to interact with their children regarding this tragedy or media surrounding it, we share resources…
#trauma #loss #coping

sunrise over a beach with palm trees and plants showing a path leading to the ocean with a colorful sky

Join us! The Developmental Psychology Doctoral Program at the University of Miami (dev.psy.miami.edu) invites applications for fall 2026. Students are fully funded & receive excellent research training for careers... #DevSci #DevPsy #PsycSciSky #AcademicSky #PhDLife #GradSchool #UMiami (thread 1/10)

Even BABIES can tell 👶🏽

Listen to the full episode: link.podtrac.com/SciStuff_Bea...

These brain cells help days-old mice to bond with mum Scientists pinpoint neurons that encode the mother–baby bond in the brains of infant mice.

Specific neurons encode the mother–infant bond www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Text: Latest from the Baby Blog - Before and after lockdown: The COVID-19 pandemic and early social cognition skills by Rose M. Scott and Gabriel Nguyentran against an image background of a baby lying on its back holding a book

New on the Baby Blog - Before and after lockdown: The COVID-19 pandemic and early social cognition skills by Rose M. Scott and Gabriel Nguyentran #infantstudies #EarlyYears #DevPsySky #PsychSciSky infantstudies.org/before-and-a...

Four cute babies on sunshine background

Smiles as bright as sunshine! 💛 Thanks for supporting science! Learn more about our paid infant & kid studies: umiami.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

New paper by PhD student, Arushi Malik! Stability of individual differences in social and nonsocial visual attention from newborn to 14 months #OpenAccess w/ wonderful team @tiffany6390.bsky.social, @shuoz.bsky.social, @semaylott.bsky.social, @dmessinger.bsky.social, et al. doi.org/10.1002/dev....

An adult holding a little girl’s hand. Photo of Dr Shearer.

“Readiness" is more than academics. Prof. Rebecca Bulotsky Shearer and the Miami-Dade IDEAS Consortium are developing tools to assess kids’ social, emotional, and behavioral skills—paving the way for more equitable early education. news.miami.edu/as/stories/2...

Social skills strait out of the womb? Neonatal imitation is one of the earliest signs of social development. 👶🧠 #DevelopmentalScience

Positive parenting strategies for anxious children A University of Miami child and adolescent specialist offered a range of strategies, tips, and tools in a recorded webinar to help parents better socialize their distressed child and to develop their ...

“As the fierce protectors of our child’s wellbeing, we all struggle with knowing where to lean in and when to pull back,” said Ehrenreich-May, recognizing that the distinction is challenging to navigate. #PositiveParenting #MindfulParenting #ParentingTips

news.miami.edu/stories/2025...

Small lungs. Big message. Can you hear us, Congress?

Check out these little changemakers making their way to the Capitol for Strolling Thunder!

Join us:

🍼 Upper Senate Park
⏰ Noon EDT
📣 bring the thunder.

Can't make it in person? Take action online: bit.ly/3ZteM6S

#StrollingThunder

…to continue exploring these topics through research. In her free time, she enjoys spending quality time with her family, reading, & being in nature. #WomenInSTEM (3/3)

Her research interests include the factors that contribute to parent-child attachment, the role of play in strengthening the parent-child bond, & how infants think, feel, & make sense of the world. She aspires to pursue a Ph.D. in developmental psychology… (2/3)

Baby photo and adult woman photo side by side.

We're thrilled to have Nashmia Khan join our #BabyCanes team! Nashmia is a licensed family therapist & registered play therapist. She earned a B.A. in psychology from Florida Atlantic University & an M.S. in family therapy from Nova Southeastern University. (Thread, 1/3)