معرفی
Dr. Katarzyna Patro-Nürk is a Research Fellow in the Department of Psychology at the University of Tübingen's Faculty of Science, specializing in developmental psychology with a focus on cognitive mechanisms in early childhood. Her work examines foundational aspects of literacy and numerical cognition, contributing significantly to understanding how spatial and numerical processing develops in preliterate children.
Her academic background includes a doctoral degree (2015) earned through a co-tutelle program between the University of Warsaw and the University of Tübingen, and a Master's degree in Psychology (2009) from the University of Warsaw. This interdisciplinary training bridges Polish and German research traditions in cognitive development.
Patro-Nürk's research centers on three interconnected domains: acquisition of spatial script conventions (how children learn directional writing systems), mirror writing phenomena, and development of number processing. Her innovative work demonstrates how preschoolers internalize cultural directional habits through exposure to adult behaviors, physical print characteristics, and spatial organization beyond literacy contexts. This research reveals critical links between spatial cognition, numerical representation, and early literacy development, with implications for educational interventions targeting cognitive foundations of learning.
Analysis of her 14 most recent publications shows consistent focus on spatial-numerical associations (SNARC effect), mental number line development, and directional processing in preliterate children. Her methodological approach combines experimental paradigms like artificial language learning with eye-tracking and behavioral measures, predominantly using preschool samples to capture developmental transitions. Key trends include investigating embodied influences on counting direction, cross-species comparisons of numerical cognition, and the role of early directional experiences in shaping cognitive architecture.
Her research has secured competitive funding, notably a DFG grant (2020-2022) for the project 'Directional conventions of a written language: developmental mechanisms of acquisition,' which systematically tests three acquisition mechanisms through controlled experimental studies. While no formal advising relationships are documented in available records, her collaborative work involves multiple international research teams across psychology and cognitive neuroscience.
Patro-Nürk maintains active research within the Developmental Psychology Department's laboratory infrastructure, utilizing specialized facilities for child behavioral testing and eye-tracking. Her current work extends into educational applications, examining how spatial-directional processing insights can inform reading instruction methodologies for early literacy development.
