Paul L. Harris

Victor S. Thomas Professor of Education

Profile

Paul Harris is interested in the early development of cognition, emotion, and imagination. His most recent book, The Work of the Imagination, gathers together several years of research carried out at Oxford University, where he taught developmental psychology. Currently, he is conducting research in two areas. First, he is studying whether children rely on their own firsthand observation or alternatively trust what other people tell them—especially when they confront a domain of knowledge in which firsthand observation is difficult. For example, many aspects of history, science, and religion concern events that children cannot easily observe for themselves. How far do children believe what they are told about these domains? When and how do they become aware of the conflicting claims made by science as compared with religion? Second, he is studying children’s understanding of mental states, including emotional states. He is particularly interested in the extent to which children’s access to conversation about psychological matters influences their understanding of emotion.

Degrees

• Ph.D., Oxford University