Ashley Thomas
@ashleyjthomas.bsky.social
Assistant Professor she/her. I study how people think about social relationships. Usually with babies and kids.
ashleyjthomas.com
ashleyjthomas.com
The lab feels so empty without our summer interns!
August 13, 2025 at 1:59 AM
The lab feels so empty without our summer interns!
Come see my lab at the Cognitive Science Society Conference #cogsci2025
July 19, 2025 at 2:30 AM
Come see my lab at the Cognitive Science Society Conference #cogsci2025
@ashleycleung.bsky.social, Emma Yu, and Cecilia Wang presented work about whether infants expect infant directed speech to predict responses to distress, and whether infants prefer only infant directed speech directed toward themselves. So far, null results across both studies!
May 4, 2025 at 8:26 PM
@ashleycleung.bsky.social, Emma Yu, and Cecilia Wang presented work about whether infants expect infant directed speech to predict responses to distress, and whether infants prefer only infant directed speech directed toward themselves. So far, null results across both studies!
Christina also presented work suggesting that children use their ability to recognize intimacy in their everyday lives. Children think that their parents are closer to their own parents than their in-laws!
May 4, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Christina also presented work suggesting that children use their ability to recognize intimacy in their everyday lives. Children think that their parents are closer to their own parents than their in-laws!
Mack Briscoe presented their work asking how children think about strategies for disagreement in groups. They find that children expect others to speak up across both hierarchical and egalitarian groups, but also say voice will be less effective in hierarchical groups.
May 4, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Mack Briscoe presented their work asking how children think about strategies for disagreement in groups. They find that children expect others to speak up across both hierarchical and egalitarian groups, but also say voice will be less effective in hierarchical groups.
Denise also presented work on infants expectations of responses to distress (or causes of distress?!) between same and different language speakers.
May 4, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Denise also presented work on infants expectations of responses to distress (or causes of distress?!) between same and different language speakers.
Denise Lopez Flores presented her work on children's inferences about interactions between same and different language speakers. Preliminary results suggests it depends on the children's experience with language.
May 4, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Denise Lopez Flores presented her work on children's inferences about interactions between same and different language speakers. Preliminary results suggests it depends on the children's experience with language.
Christina Steele presented some preliminary evidence suggesting that chimpanzees recognize caregiving relationships. Chimps may use hugging and size/age to predict who will respond to distress. This project tested 22 chimps using eye tracking!
May 4, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Christina Steele presented some preliminary evidence suggesting that chimpanzees recognize caregiving relationships. Chimps may use hugging and size/age to predict who will respond to distress. This project tested 22 chimps using eye tracking!
Mia Taylor: children make different social inferences depending on consent for saliva-sharing actions or handling a person's possessions, but not helping behavior.
May 4, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Mia Taylor: children make different social inferences depending on consent for saliva-sharing actions or handling a person's possessions, but not helping behavior.
Thread #2 @srcdorg.bsky.social #SRCD2025. Talk by @brandonmwoo.bsky.social: children think that people who are socially close better know one another's mental states, and that when people correctly guess mental states they are socially closer. tinyurl.com/wdr9ajmx
May 4, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Thread #2 @srcdorg.bsky.social #SRCD2025. Talk by @brandonmwoo.bsky.social: children think that people who are socially close better know one another's mental states, and that when people correctly guess mental states they are socially closer. tinyurl.com/wdr9ajmx
4th: Dhanishtha Upadhyay presenting her poster on language biases. She replicated the finding that english-speaking children from monolingual households prefer english-speakers. Next up: do parent's displays of affiliation change these preferences?
May 4, 2025 at 11:37 AM
4th: Dhanishtha Upadhyay presenting her poster on language biases. She replicated the finding that english-speaking children from monolingual households prefer english-speakers. Next up: do parent's displays of affiliation change these preferences?
3rd: Melanie Luximon presenting work on whether kids think there is a limit to the number of 'best friends' that one has. This will be her thesis at Bath University.
May 4, 2025 at 11:37 AM
3rd: Melanie Luximon presenting work on whether kids think there is a limit to the number of 'best friends' that one has. This will be her thesis at Bath University.
2nd: Paola Lee-Vega presenting her poster on kids early ideas about what 'grandmother' means. This is the beginning of her thesis project exploring how children learn kinship terms.
May 4, 2025 at 11:37 AM
2nd: Paola Lee-Vega presenting her poster on kids early ideas about what 'grandmother' means. This is the beginning of her thesis project exploring how children learn kinship terms.
1st: Megan Richardson talking about kids' ideas about emotional intimacy: kids think people who disclose negative emotions are socially closer, and socially close people disclose negative emotions. She'll start a PhD at UC Riverside and joined my lab with Harvard's NSF RSI program (now defunded 💔)
May 4, 2025 at 11:37 AM
1st: Megan Richardson talking about kids' ideas about emotional intimacy: kids think people who disclose negative emotions are socially closer, and socially close people disclose negative emotions. She'll start a PhD at UC Riverside and joined my lab with Harvard's NSF RSI program (now defunded 💔)
Come see talks and posters this weekend at TiPs at Harvard!
April 28, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Come see talks and posters this weekend at TiPs at Harvard!
Many people from my lab are presenting exciting work at SRCD!
April 24, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Many people from my lab are presenting exciting work at SRCD!
My books this year!
January 1, 2025 at 5:39 PM
My books this year!
Just for extra enticement, my lab is full of amazing human beings who sometimes get ice cream together. :)
December 11, 2024 at 6:46 PM
Just for extra enticement, my lab is full of amazing human beings who sometimes get ice cream together. :)
We ask children to predict who are 'best friends' in several studies. Interesting its use has such a sharp increase recently.
October 13, 2024 at 11:55 PM
We ask children to predict who are 'best friends' in several studies. Interesting its use has such a sharp increase recently.
Our summer internship is a wrap! It was a blast working with @bergelsonlab.bsky.social and the Snedecker lab. Very thankful to inherit such an amazing program from Susan Carey. Congrats to the mentees and mentors!!!
August 9, 2024 at 2:28 PM
Our summer internship is a wrap! It was a blast working with @bergelsonlab.bsky.social and the Snedecker lab. Very thankful to inherit such an amazing program from Susan Carey. Congrats to the mentees and mentors!!!
It is my lab's 1st anniversary. I'm filled with deep gratitude to everyone who has been in my lab for the past year. They make my job so fulfilling!
July 2, 2024 at 6:37 PM
It is my lab's 1st anniversary. I'm filled with deep gratitude to everyone who has been in my lab for the past year. They make my job so fulfilling!
Very excited to be at CDS with my lab! Come check out our work!! @brandonmwoo.bsky.social @ashleycleung.bsky.social and blueskyless others!
March 11, 2024 at 2:40 PM
Very excited to be at CDS with my lab! Come check out our work!! @brandonmwoo.bsky.social @ashleycleung.bsky.social and blueskyless others!
My books this year. Popisho was my favorite….A gift from @rebeccasaxe.bsky.social followed by Bitch rec by Denis Tatone.
December 26, 2023 at 5:46 PM
My books this year. Popisho was my favorite….A gift from @rebeccasaxe.bsky.social followed by Bitch rec by Denis Tatone.
First semester with these wonderful human beings a wrap! I am so very grateful I get to work with these people.
December 8, 2023 at 8:02 PM
First semester with these wonderful human beings a wrap! I am so very grateful I get to work with these people.