Harold W. Stevenson Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychology and Research Professor, Center for Human Growth & Development
Ph.D. University of Minnesota
Area: Developmental

Contact Information

Email: hmw@umich.edu
Psychology Office: 2018 East Hall
Psychology Phone: 734-764-8591

Alternate Office: CHGD, 300 NIB
Alternate Phone: 734-764-2443

Research and Teaching Interests

My research interests focus on children's acquisition of foundational knowledge - early acquired understandings that shape and frame later cognitive developments - studied via naturalistic and laboratory studies with infants and young children. Specific topics include children's development of a "theory of mind" (an understanding of persons), and their understandings of physical objects and biological phenomena.

 

Representative Publications

• Brandone, A. & Wellman, H. M. (2009). You can’t always get what you want: Infants understand failed goal-directed actions. Psychological Science,20,85-91.
• Wellman, H. M., Fang, F., Liu, D., Zhu, L. & Liu, G. (2006). Scaling of theory of mind understanding in Chinese children. Psychological Science, 17, 1075-1081.
• Wellman, H.M. & Liu, D. (2004) Scaling of theory of mind tasks. Child Development, 75, 523-541.
• Wellman, H.M. (2002) Understanding the psychological world: Developing a theory of mind. In U. Goswami (Ed.) Handbook of Childhood Cognitive Development (pp. 167-187). Oxford: Blackwell.
• Wellman, H.M., Cross, D. & Watson, J. (2001) A meta-analysis of theory of mind development: The truth about false belief. Child Development, 72,655-684.

 

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