Emory Richardson

Hi! I’m a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Michigan, working with Susan Gelman. 

I study the commonsense intuitions about individual and collective learning in social networks that enable cumulative culture, and how these intuitions develop in early childhood. In my postdoctoral work, I'm focusing on how children reason about contagions - including biological transmission, but also the transmission of beliefs and behaviors. Here’s a word cloud of some ideas that motivate my research:

I did my PhD at Yale, working primarily with Frank Keil. I went to St. John's College in Santa Fe as an undergraduate, where everyone reads philosophy and the history of science. I also spent a few years in Peace Corps and teaching abroad, and did a 1-year master's (MAPSS) at the University of Chicago before starting my PhD. I like stats, languages, and intellectual promiscuity.