معرفی
Katarina Begus is a Tenure Track Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Social Sciences. Her research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of curiosity and information seeking behaviors in infants, with particular attention to how these processes drive learning and development. She maintains regular office hours on Wednesdays from 11:00-12:00 and is actively engaged in research projects funded by The Independent Research Fund Denmark.
Dr. Begus's research interests center on infant cognitive development, with specific emphasis on curiosity, information seeking behaviors, active social learning, neuroimaging techniques, eye tracking methodologies, and caregiver-child interaction patterns. Her work bridges developmental psychology and cognitive neuroscience to uncover how infants actively seek information and how this motivation shapes their learning trajectories. She investigates how curiosity mechanisms are implemented in the brain and how they develop during infancy when active information seeking behaviors first emerge.
Her publication record reveals a strong focus on infant social cognition, neural mechanisms of learning, and methodological innovations in developmental research. The research demonstrates consistent exploration of how infants process social information, attribute intentions to others, and engage in active learning through curiosity-driven behaviors. Her work spans multiple methodologies including neuroimaging, eye tracking, and cross-cultural studies.
- What motivates infant learning? Prize (2022)
Dr. Begus currently leads a research project funded by The Independent Research Fund Denmark investigating curiosity, its mechanisms, and developmental trajectory. Her work has received significant attention with coverage by 19 news outlets, mentions on various social media platforms including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Bluesky, and substantial academic readership through platforms like Mendeley. Her research bridges theoretical understanding with practical implications for early childhood education and intervention.
