Clarissa Thompson

Dr. Clarissa Thompson is Professor of Psychological Sciences at Kent State University, where she directs the Cognitive Development Lab. She earned her PhD from The Ohio State University and teaches courses in cognitive psychology and experimental methods.

Her research investigates numerical cognition across development, including: how children represent and estimate numbers, factors influencing math anxiety, metacognitive monitoring during problem solving, and interventions to improve rational number understanding. The lab employs behavioral methods, eye-tracking, and cognitive modeling.

Recent work examines visualization techniques for health risk communication, cross-notation number processing, and longitudinal predictors of math achievement. She serves on editorial boards and mentors doctoral students in cognitive/developmental psychology.