Kristin H. Lagattuta

Kristin H. Lagattuta is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Davis. She is also a core faculty member at the Center for Mind and Brain. Her research focuses on integrating cognitive, social, and emotional development, particularly how mental states (e.g., thoughts, emotions) interact with life experiences to shape decision-making and emotional reactions. She explores biases in social group perception, prosocial behavior, and developmental changes in emotion understanding across childhood and adulthood.

Education: Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the University of Michigan (1999), B.A. in Psychology from Stanford University (1993).

Research Interests: Theory of mind, emotional development, moral cognition, intergroup biases, cognitive biases in social perception, and the impact of prior expectations on emotions and preferences. Her work bridges developmental psychology with cognitive and affective neuroscience approaches.

Awards:

• UC Davis Distinguished Teaching Award (2015)
• Social Sciences Dean's Award for Scientific Innovation (2013)
• Phi Beta Kappa Excellence in Teaching Award (2010)

Teaching & Advising: Teaches courses on cognitive development, emotion understanding, and developmental psychology. Mentors undergraduate and Ph.D. students in experimental research.曾 served as Chair of the Psychology Department and held leadership roles in university governance, including the Davis Division of the Academic Senate (2018–2020).

Labs/Teams: Director of the Mind-Emotion Development Lab, which investigates children's and adults' emotional and cognitive processes in social contexts.