What do infants and children understand about others' actions and minds?

When we observe others acting in the world, we can often infer their goals, beliefs, and experiences. 

What are the developmental origins of our abilities to reason about others' minds? How do we overcome differences between our own and others' minds?

Representative papers:
Woo et al. (2023, TiCS)
Woo et al. (2024, Dev. Sci.)
Woo et al. (2024, Cognition)

How do infants and children make sense of social interactions and relationships?

As adults, we readily make sense of others' social interactions, form moral judgments, and form inferences about people's relationships. 

What representations form our early-emerging knowledge of the social world? How does this knowledge grow, through learning and experience?

Representative papers:
Woo et al. (2022, Annual Rev. of Dev. Psych.)
Woo and Spelke (2023, Child Dev.)
Woo et al. (2024, Open Mind)

How do infants and children come to feel socially connected to other people?

From birth, children depend on others to learn new skills and knowledge and to achieve their goals. 

How do we come to identify individuals who may teach us and help us achieve our goals? How do we come to care for other people?

Representative papers:
Woo et al. (2025, CogSci Proceedings)
Woo and Laha (in press, BBS)