My research is committed to the vision of a Social Cognitive Science—a multidisciplinary investigation of the mental capacities and processes that enable humans to make sense of the social world.  Central among these tools is the overarching framework of a "folk theory of mind and behavior"— the conceptual framework within which people represent and reason about the human mind and its role in action.   This framwork organizes a variety of social-cognitive processes, such as imitation, joint attention, empathy, or explicit mental state inferences.   Some of my specific research projects have explored the conceptual meaning of intentionality and its role in moral and legal judgments; the ease and speed of mental state inferences; and the nature of behavior explanations at a conceptual, cognitive, and communicative level. 

The Folk Theory of Mind

Representations and Inferences of Mental States

Intentionality

Explanations of Behavior

Perceptions of Self
and Personality

Additional Topics:
Prediction, Moral Sentiments, Values