Developmental Social Cognitive Neuroscience Lab

The Developmental Social Cognitive Neuroscience lab is co-directed by Dr. Stephanie M. Carlson and Dr. Philip D. Zelazo. It is located in the historic Institute of Child Development at the University of Minnesota, which was founded in 1925, and continues to be one of the leading research centers in the world for inquiries into both basic and applied developmental studies. In 2009, the ICD was ranked as the top Ph.D. program in developmental psychology (U.S. News and World Reports).

The main focus of our research at the DSCN is the development of executive function (conscious control of thought, action, and emotion). Executive function involves a key set of skills (working memory, inhibitory control, set-shifting, and mindful reflection) that are proving to be implicated in a number of developmental outcomes such as school readiness and academic success, social functioning, and child and adolescent well-being. We adopt a multi-level and multi-method approach to this topic, including genetic, neuroimaging, behavioral, cognitive, and socio-cultural studies. Our research is conducted with children ages 2 and up, and includes both typically developing children and children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The principal investigators of the DSCN are leading scientists in the field of cognitive development.