Eric A. Walle

Eric A. Walle is an Associate Professor of Psychological Sciences at the University of California, Merced, affiliated with the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts. He holds a PhD in Developmental Psychology from UC Berkeley (2012) and a BS in Developmental Psychology, Cognitive Studies, and Elementary Education from Vanderbilt University (2005).

• School: School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts
• Department: Psychology
• Email: ewalle@ucmerced.edu
• Phone: (209) 228-4634

Professor Walle’s research focuses on two primary areas: infant emotional development and developmental transitions. His work examines differential behavioral responses to discrete emotions (anger, fear, sadness, disgust, joy), infant sensitivity to emotional communication cues (context, expressiveness, clarity), and language development following locomotor transitions like walking. He has replicated findings in cross-cultural contexts (e.g., Mandarin-exposed infants in Shanghai, China).

The Oxford Handbook of Emotional Development (2022), co-edited by Walle, synthesizes 40 chapters on emotional development. His recent publications highlight topics like emotion-action linkage, cultural brokering in immigrant families, and caregiver-infant vocalization dynamics.

• Scientific Awards: Co-Editor, Oxford Handbook of Emotional Development (2022)

Walle’s lab at UC Merced trains graduate and undergraduate students in developmental research. The Interpersonal Development Lab investigates infant social, emotional, and cognitive development through empirical studies and parent-infant interaction analyses.