Pre-Conference Workshops

All workshops will be held on Thursday, April 9 at the Hotel Bonaventure

WS1: Causal inference in development: A workshop for using the devMSMs R package with longitudinal data

Co-organized by Dr. Meriah Dejoseph, Stanford University 

Cost: $35 per person

Summary: Cognitive scientists are interested in causal questions, such as whether the timing (e.g., sensitive periods) and dosage (i.e. cumulative ‘hits’) of environmental experiences differentially shape brain and cognitive development. However, methodological barriers prevent the uptake of causal inference tools developed in other fields. Marginal structural models (MSMs) are one such tool for drawing causal inference from observational data. This workshop provides a practical introduction to MSMs, including an overview of conceptual foundations and step-by-step instruction for using our novel devMSMs R package (Stallworthy et al.,2025). Through MSMs, confounders at all time points are addressed to functionally mimic sequential randomization. This allows researchers to isolate the impacts of dose and timing of experience on a host of outcomes, with implications for science and policy.

Additional Information: Includes coffee break

WS2: Children and technology: Emerging scholars, emerging methods, emerging directions

Co-organised by Lauren Girouard, University of Michigan & Harvard University, Elizabeth Goldman, Yeshiva University, Anna-Elisabeth Baumann, University of Calgary, Koeun Choi, Virginia Tech, Meryem Seyda Ozcan, Virginia Tech, & Carla Macias, Rutgers University & Virginia Tech

Cost: $35 per person

Summary: Children’s options for technological informants have expanded to include an array of tools, apps, and websites in a complex digital environment. As we stand on the precipice of an era defined by its widespread use of AI, this workshop asks emerging scholars at the intersection of child development and digital technology to consider new directions and how we can come together to answer big questions posed by researchers, educators, policy makers, and, vitally, the families most impacted by our shifting digital landscape. The workshop features a panel discussion on current directions in the field, a set of methodology flash talks followed by round table discussions, and a poster session showcasing emerging work. Importantly, senior scholars will participate in the convening as moderators, discussants, and mentors to facilitate connections with early-career researchers.

Additional Information: Includes coffee break

WS3: Counterfactual thinking: What is it good for?

Co-organised by Shalini Gautam, University of Queensland, Jonathan Redshaw, University of Queensland, & Angela Nyhout, University of Kent

Cost: $35 per person

Summary: The past decade has seen a surge in interest in the development of counterfactual thinking, with research exploring when and in what ways children imagine how past events could have unfolded differently. But what is  counterfactual thinking actually good for? Here, we bring together diverse strands of work that emphasize the benefits of such thinking across multiple domains. Together, the talks will demonstrate how counterfactual thinking functions to support children’s social understanding, emotional development, and learning outcomes. We will also invite a discussion on how the developmental trajectory and processes of counterfactual thinking have themselves been a topic of debate. We hope this pre-conference will ignite new interest in the area and also generate new research directions. We believe participants will leave wondering: what isn’t counterfactual thinking good for?

Additional Information: Includes coffee break

WS4: Defending science in 2026

Co-organised by Steven Piantadosi, University of California, & Jessica Cantlon, Carnegie Mellon University

Cost: $35 per person

Summary: Higher education and science are facing unprecedented challenges. What can we do as scientists? This symposium aims to highlight ongoing efforts to protect our research, institutions, and academic rights, provide concrete actions we can take, and collectively brainstorm a strategy going forward. 

Additional Information: Includes coffee break

WS5: How to share your data interactively using Datapages

Co-organised by Mika Braginsky & Michael Frank, Stanford University

Cost: $35 per person

Summary: Findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) data sharing is a key component of open science, but effective sharing can be challenging for developmental researchers, especially those with limited technical expertise or resources. If datasets are shared, it’s most often as static files, decreasing impact. We introduce Datapages, tools and templates that bridge this gap. Using Quarto and Observable.js, Datapages enables researchers to easily share versioned datasets along with interactive visualizations, rich documentation, and user-friendly access functionality. We’ll present a gallery of Datapages that we’ve developed for a diverse array of datasets, and demonstrate how to create a Datapage for your own datasets. Come prepared with a dataset you’re excited about, and by the end of the workshop you’ll hopefully have a prototype Datapage ready to share!

Additional Information: Includes coffee break

WS6: Intuitive theories of care and protection in development

Co-organised by Rodney Tompkins & Lindsey Powell, University of California, San Diego

Cost: $35 per person

Summary: This workshop spotlights a growing field of research investigating how children recognize, reason about, and evaluate acts of care and protection. It includes empirical research on children’s thinking at a range of levels, from perceiving their own caregivers to understanding institutional care and protection. Theory-focused content will consider the “intuitive theory of care” that supports children’s understanding. Talks fall into three themes: children’s reasoning about (1) care in general, their caregivers in particular, and bridges between the two, (2) consequences and calibrations in levels of care and protection, and (3) care and protection at societal and structural levels. Bringing together researchers working across these empirical and theoretical perspectives will foster collaboration and provide a comprehensive introduction to the new cognitive science of care and protection.

Additional Information: Includes coffee break

WS7: The past, present, and future of research on metacognitive development

Co-organised by Antonia Langenhoff, Peter Zhu, & Hyowon Gweon, Stanford University

Cost: $35 per person

Summary: Humans possess a remarkable ability to reason about their own minds. This capacity, referred to as metacognition, plays a crucial role in learning, planning, and decision-making. Inspired by the work of John Flavell (1928-2025), the goal of this workshop is to provide a venue to reflect upon decades of work (“past”), share the latest advances (“present”), and chart promising directions for research (“future”). This workshop brings together researchers studying metacognition using a variety of methods (developmental, cognitive, comparative), and across a range of domains, such as memory, learning, social cognition, and more. The workshop will feature talks by leading experts on the topic and a roundtable discussion to foster lively discussions. Through its interactive format, this workshop will connect researchers at different career stages and encourage collaborations across disciplines.

Additional Information: Includes coffee break

WS8: Conducting cognitive developmental research during challenging times

Co-organised by Jasmine Dejesus, UNC Greensboro, Tara Mandalaywala, Boston University, Maritza Miramontes, University of California, & Katie Vasquez, University of Chicago

Cost: $35 per person

Summary: This pre-conference aims to bring together scholars from a variety of backgrounds to have an open and candid discussion about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the field and society at this critical moment. Science and institutions of higher education are facing a number of unprecedented challenges currently in the United States, with scholars in many locations around the globe facing similar challenges to funding and autonomy. Here, we hope to facilitate a half-day session with two primary goals: highlight cutting-edge, vital science that integrates DEI into basic cognitive developmental researchbuild a research community where scholars across career stages can find support and collaborators for doing this vital science.

Additional Information: Includes coffee break

WS9: Developmental science together: Developmental science at non-R1 institutions

Co-organised by Jennifer Clegg, Texas State University, Katherine Warnell, Texas State University, & Dolly Rojo, Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles

Cost: $35 per person

Summary: Conducting developmental science at non-research intensive, or non-R1, institutions presents unique challenges for researchers (e.g., limited support personnel, increased non-research demands). Despite these challenges, faculty at these institutions are usually expected to maintain active research programs. Expanding upon our 2024 CDS pre-conference, this workshop will continue to build a support network for developmental scientists at non-R1 institutions. This year’s pre-conference will also focus on active problem-solving via roundtable discussions and facilitated break-out sessions. Topics will include student mentorship, the logistics of participant recruitment and lab management, and writing strategies. This pre-conference is an excellent fit both for those currently at non-R1 institutions and for trainees who are hoping to pursue careers outside of R1 environments.

Additional Information: Includes coffee break

WS10: Measuring executive function in children: Concepts, tools, and skills for researchers

Organised by Sabine Doebel, George Mason University

Cost: $35 per person

Summary: This preconference will deepen researchers’ understanding of executive function and support the selection and adaptation of measures that are developmentally sensitive, accessible, and culturally relevant. Interest in executive function has grown rapidly, driven by its theoretical importance, predictive power, and malleability. Yet many researchers feel unsure about which measures to use, how to adapt them, and how to ensure cultural and developmental relevance. This workshop will build participants’ skills on these fronts, emphasizing open-access tools. Presentations will address: challenges in conceptualizing and measuring executive function skills; group-based and observational methods; culturally and developmentally appropriate guidelines and novel tasks; and whether widely used measures function equivalently across different populations.

Additional Information: Includes coffee break

WS11: Paul L. Harris: The Eras Tour

Co-organised by Kathleen Corriveau, Boston University, Melissa Koenig, University of Minnesota, & Vikram Jaswal, University of Virginia

Cost: $35 per person

Summary: How do children learn about the world? This question has served as the foundation of Paul Harris’ seminal career in social cognitive development over more than half a century. Over the course of Dr. Harris’ career, he launched exciting discoveries that shaped new subfields within social cognition, such as children’s understanding of emotion and imagination. Most recently, he focused on children’s learning from the testimony of others, and how that testimony impacts their understanding of domains they cannot observe via first-hand experience such as invisible religious or scientific concepts. And throughout, he maintained successful global collaborations, developed the next generation of social cognitive developmentalists, and served as past president of CDS. This preconference aims to celebrate Paul’s past while looking forwards to the future of developmental science.

Additional Information: Includes coffee break

WS12: Strategic decision-making in childhood

Co-organised by Radhika Santhanagopalan, University of Chicago, & Katherine McAuliffe, Boston College

Cost: $35 per person

Summary: Children’s everyday choices may seem simple, far removed from the complex decision-making strategies adults employ. Yet, a growing body of research reveals that the seeds of strategic reasoning—and the errors that accompany it—take root early in life. Even before they can formally participate in institutional decision-making, children are bargaining with peers, reinterpreting rules to serve their interests, and leveraging information to pursue their goals. This workshop focuses on what we know—and what remains to be understood—about the developmental origins of decision-making strategies. This workshop features presentations and activities designed to foster cross-disciplinary dialogue. Bridging perspectives from social psychology, behavioral economics, and developmental science, we aim to carve out a shared research agenda on the future of developmental decision-making research.

Additional Information: Includes coffee break

WS13: The voice of identity: How language shapes and reveals the social child

Co-organised by Diqi Zeng, University of Minnesota, & Melissa Koenig, University of Minnesota

Cost: $35 per person

Summary: Language is fundamentally social—children don’t just learn what to say, but how to say it in ways that signal who they are. While we know social group membership shape children’s behaviors, friendships, and preferences, we know far less about how such membership become encoded in ways children speak. This workshop explores the intersection of social cognition and language development, examining key questions: How do children learn to speak like their in-group? When do gendered speech patterns emerge, and what drives them? Through what mechanisms—social learning, identity construction, or cultural transmission—do children come to produce language in identity-marked ways? Join us to discuss cutting-edge research and innovative methods for studying how children learn not just what to say, but how their words signify who they are.

Additional Information: Includes coffee break

WS14: Towards a unified account of motivation in development

Co-organised by Elaine Wang, Yale University, Bella Fascendini, Princeton University, Eunice Yiu, University of California, & Junyi Chu, Stanford University

Cost: $35 per person

Summary: Motivation is central to learning and development, yet existing theories are fragmented across disciplines. Developmental theories (Deci & Ryan,1985; Gweon, 2021; Sobel & Sommerville, 2009) emphasize basic psychological needs and social learning while educational frameworks highlight children’s beliefs about their identity, intelligence, and task value (Silverman et al., 2023; Yeager & Dweck, 2012; Wigfield & Eccles, 2000). Computational approaches formalize motivation as cost-benefit decisions (Shenhav et al., 2017) and intrinsic rewards as drivers of exploration (Haber, 2023; Nussenbaum et al., 2017). Can these theories be integrated into a unified account of motivation across the lifespan? This preconference will synthesize frameworks bridging developmental psychology, education, and computational modeling to advance the cognitive science of motivation in development.

Additional Information: Includes coffee break