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Jonathan Lane

Assistant Professor of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University
My research is focused on children’s social-cognitive development: their developing understandings of other people and minds, and the ways in which they learn from other people and minds. My work on children’s understanding of minds-- their "theory of mind"--has identified developmental predictors of children's theory of mind (e.g., temperament), social-cognitive consequences of theory of mind development (e.g., children’s moral reasoning, hostile attributions of intent, and social learning), and has explored the flexibility of children's theory of mind as evidenced in their understanding of extraordinary minds (e.g., omniscient beings). My work on how children learn from others has focused on how children’s conceptual development and beliefs are influenced by others’ claims about counter-perceptual phenomena (e.g., invisible entities that can cause observable phenomena) and counterintuitive phenomena (e.g., animals with extraordinary capacities). Most recently, my work on children’s social learning has begun to address questions of how children’s attitudes about new social groups are influenced by others’ claims about those groups.

What do kids really think about Santa?

Dec 24, 2019 08:16 am UTC| Insights & Views Life

Childrens belief in Santa may be taken as evidence that theyre gullible or unable to distinguish fantasy from reality. But, consider your reaction to the following scenario: The past few nights, the local news has been...

Economy

UAE's Largest Natural Gas Facility Suspended After Attack-Triggered Fire

Abu Dhabi authorities have temporarily halted operations at Habshan, the United Arab Emirates largest natural gas processing facility, following a devastating attack that triggered a major fire at the site. The incident...

Trump's FY2027 Budget: Major Defense Boost and Domestic Spending Cuts

President Donald Trump has unveiled a bold federal budget proposal for fiscal year 2027, signaling a dramatic realignment of national spending priorities. The plan centers on a significant expansion of military funding...

U.S. Warplane Shot Down by Iran Amid Escalating Middle East Conflict

A U.S. military aircraft was shot down by Iranian forces on Friday, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing five-week conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran. Both nations confirmed the incident, with...

U.S. Job Market Braces for Slow Recovery Amid Middle East Tensions and Economic Uncertainty

The U.S. labor market is expected to post modest gains in March, recovering from Februarys sharp drop of 92,000 jobs, but persistent headwinds are keeping economists cautious. A Reuters poll forecasts nonfarm payrolls...

Bank of Japan Eyes Further Rate Hikes Amid Middle East Tensions and Inflation Pressures

A senior Bank of Japan official reaffirmed the central banks commitment to continuing its interest rate hike cycle, while closely monitoring how the ongoing Middle East conflict is shaping Japans economic outlook and...

Politics

U.S. F-15E Shot Down Over Iran: One Crew Member Recovered Amid Escalating Conflict

A United States F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet has been shot down over Iranian territory, marking the first confirmed incident of its kind since the start of the nearly five-week conflict between the U.S., Israel, and...

Judge Blocks DOJ Subpoenas in Federal Reserve Investigation, Delaying Powell Succession

A federal judge in Washington, D.C. has once again ruled against the Justice Departments efforts to revive a criminal investigation targeting Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, dealing another significant blow to what...

Congo in Talks With Trump Administration to Accept Third-Country Deportees

The Democratic Republic of Congo is reportedly in discussions with the Trump administration about accepting deportees from third countries individuals who are not Congolese nationals but were living in the United States...

Russia's Easter Strikes Kill Multiple Civilians Across Ukraine

In a significant escalation of its ongoing war against Ukraine, Russia launched a massive daytime strike on Friday, killing at least six people across multiple regions, including Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Donetsk, and Kharkiv....

Iran Rejects U.S. Ceasefire Proposal Amid Ongoing Tensions

An unnamed source revealed to Irans semi-official Fars news agency on Friday that Tehran has turned down a ceasefire proposal put forward by the United States. According to the source, the offer was extended on Wednesday...

Science

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

Technology

Elon Musk Ties SpaceX IPO Access to Mandatory Grok AI Subscriptions

Elon Musk is reportedly making Grok subscriptions a prerequisite for banks and advisers involved in SpaceXs highly anticipated initial public offering. According to the New York Times, citing insiders familiar with the...

MATCH Act Targets ASML and Chinese Chipmakers in New U.S. Export Crackdown

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has unveiled the MATCH Act, a landmark piece of draft legislation designed to tighten export restrictions on advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment destined for China. The...

Microsoft's $10 Billion Japan Investment: AI Infrastructure and Data Sovereignty Push

Microsoft is set to pour approximately $10 billion into Japan between now and 2029, channeling funds into data center expansion and artificial intelligence infrastructure to meet the countrys growing demand for data...

Australia's Social Media Ban for Under-16s Sparks Global Movement

Australias landmark social media ban for users under 16, which took effect in December, is reshaping digital policy conversations worldwide. Countries including Spain and Malaysia have signaled interest in adopting similar...

SpaceX Eyes Historic IPO at $1.75 Trillion Valuation

Elon Musks aerospace giant SpaceX has quietly filed a confidential IPO registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, according to Bloomberg News sources familiar with the matter. The move signals that the...

Digital Currency