Király Ildikó

Király Ildikó is Professor and Head of the Cognitive Psychology Department at the Faculty of Psychology and Pedagogy, Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, Hungary, serving since 2005 with departmental leadership beginning in 2009.

Her educational background includes:

• Habilitation (2008) from Eötvös Loránd University
• PhD in Psychological Science (Cognitive Psychology, summa cum laude, 2002) from Eötvös Loránd University
• MA in Psychology (1997) from Eötvös Loránd University
• MA in Cultural Anthropology (2000) from Eötvös Loránd University

Dr. Király's research focuses on cognitive development and social cognition, with particular emphasis on theory of mind, memory development, and social learning. Her work explores the cognitive foundations of human sociality, examining how children develop understanding of others' mental states and social structures through projects like 'Social Curiosity: The cognitive basis of human sociality' and 'Perspectives – New vistas in the research on Theory of Mind'.

Her significant research contributions have been recognized with:

• Sylvia Brody Prize for Developmental Research from the New York Psychoanalitic Association (2004)
• Prize of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences for Young Researcher (2002)

Dr. Király has secured substantial research funding including the Hungarian Academy of Sciences Momentum Program grant (2017-2022), multiple OTKA research grants, and infrastructure funding to establish the Social Minds Research Group at ELTE in 2008, creating specialized laboratory facilities for developmental research.

She serves as Head of the Cognitive Psychology Doctoral Program and develops comprehensive curriculum across all academic levels, including undergraduate Cognitive Psychology courses, graduate specialization in Cognitive Psychology, and the English-language Cognitive Science MSc program.