Allegra Cattani

Dr. Allegra Cattani is a Visiting Senior Research Fellow and Baby Lab Manager at the School of Psychology (Faculty of Health) at the University of Plymouth. She holds a Ph.D. and is a Chartered Psychologist (CPsychol), Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society (AFBPsS), and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (Fellow HEA). Her research focuses on developmental psychology, particularly language development in monolingual and bilingual children, psychosocial development in individuals with learning disabilities, and the creation of assessment tools for early language acquisition. She teaches courses such as 'Language Development in Typical and Atypical Populations' and 'Psychology for Health Studies.'

Dr. Cattani’s work contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), emphasizing quality education and good health. Her research includes studies on the impact of parental education on toddlers’ language skills, cross-linguistic comparisons of naming errors, and the validation of assessment tools like the Words in Game (WinG) test. She has also explored cultural responses to pain in children and the integration of robotics in psychological practice.

Her recent publications (2024–2017) highlight advancements in bilingual language assessment, the role of language exposure in vocabulary development, and computational models explaining cognitive processes in children. Dr. Cattani collaborates internationally, adapting language assessment tools for Arabic dialects and addressing challenges in assessing EAL (English as an Additional Language) children in the UK.

As Baby Lab Manager, she oversees projects investigating early childhood development, particularly in bilingual populations. Her work bridges academic research and practical applications, influencing clinical practices and educational policies.