Léa Tân Combette

Research 

I am a postdoc researcher at the Child Cognition Lab, Boston University. 

My research explores the factors influencing individuals' beliefs about the malleability of certain traits. During my PhD at the Paris Brain Institute, I enhanced mindset interventions by involving students, teachers, and parents. In my Postdoc at Boston University, I delved into science learning, investigating how formal and folk biology theories shape perceptions of the malleability of various physical and mental traits. Essentialism is a key aspect of my research, seeking to understand how it develops in relation to teleological beliefs and acceptance of variability across natural and social categories.

A crucial aspect of my work is its interdisciplinary nature. While primarily employing quantitative measures, I have also undergone training in quantitative ethnography, valuing the complementary insights these approaches offer. Collaboration has been integral to my research, involving experts from diverse fields such as social psychology, developmental science, cognitive neuroscience, statistics, and education science.

In essence, my research seeks to answer a fundamental question: What factors and lay theories lead individuals to categorize people into predefined boxes?

Background

I completed a Bachelor's degree in Psychology at Paris University in 2015, a Master's degree in Cognitive Sciences at Ecole Normale Supérieure in 2017, and a Ph.D. in Cognitive sciences at the Paris Brain Institute (in collaboration with Energie Jeunes) in 2022. I also completed a certification in scientific communication (Paris Learning Institute), and another in Evaluating Social Programs (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Being a first-gen student (my parents dropped out of middle school) was also very instructive and definitely shaped my interest in social justice.

Contact 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at leacombette.phd@gmail.com