Amanda Brandone

Amanda Brandone is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Lehigh University, where she joined the faculty in 2010. She earned her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the University of Michigan. Her research focuses on how infants and young children develop conceptual knowledge, particularly in understanding non-obvious properties of the social world and categorization processes.

• Ph.D. in Psychology, University of Michigan

Her work bridges developmental psychology and cognitive science, investigating early theory of mind, social cognition, and the role of generic language in children’s reasoning about categories. She examines how infants use social and motor experiences to interpret intentional actions and how preschoolers transition to more mature cognitive frameworks.

Recent publications highlight longitudinal studies on intention understanding, triadic interactions, and the interplay between motor development and social cognition. Her research also explores children’s beliefs about category variability, mental state controllability, and the implications of generic language for conceptual development.

Brandone teaches courses including Child Development (PSYC 107), Research Methods (PSYC 203), and Child Development and Social Policy (PSYC 346). She serves as the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Psychology program at Lehigh.