Research
My research uses computational modeling and behavioral experiments to understand how people reason about other minds. I'm especially interested in the representations and computations underlying theory of mind — how we infer what others are thinking, feeling, and experiencing — and what happens when they are deployed in high-stakes real-world contexts like clinical care.
1. Theory of mind & cognitive processes
How do people infer the unobservable contents of other minds — what others are thinking, remembering, or experiencing? I build computational cognitive models of these inferences and test them behaviorally.
under review preprint
Earlier papers in this series
· Behavioral and Brain Sciences 2024 link
2. ToM in communication
Theory of mind is not just for passive observation. It shapes how we interact, communicate, and even deceive. This line examines how people strategically deploy mental-state reasoning during communication and deception.
(* equal contribution) under review
Earlier papers in this series
3. ToM in the wild: Reasoning about pain, bodies & medicine
Attributing pain to someone else relies on both our theory of mind (what did they mean when they said, "it hurts like...") and our intuitive theory of how pain works. These intuitive theories of mind and body have direct consequences for how pain and stigmatized conditions are believed, dismissed, and treated in healthcare interactions.
· CogSci 2026
· Behavioral and Brain Sciences · commentary on Bai et al. in press
4. Comparative cognition
What representations does a system need for intelligent behavior?
A parallel thread uses evolutionary simulations, non-human primates, and artificial systems as mirrors for human cognition, allowing us to probe the kinds of representations that support intelligent behavior in the social and physical worlds.
In evolutionary simulations
· Cognitive Science 2022 pdf
In non-human primates
(* equal contribution) under review preprint
· CogSci 2026
