Sara Dellantonio

Sara Dellantonio is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences at the University of Trento, Italy, where she also serves as Deputy Coordinator of the Doctoral Program in Cognitive Sciences (DM45/2013). She has been with the University of Trento since 2004, progressing from Research Fellow to her current position as Associate Professor since November 2020.

Her academic background includes:

• PhD in Philosophy from the University of Bremen, Germany (2005), with a dissertation titled "Die internal Dimension der Bedeutung. Internalismus, Externalismus und semantische Kompetenz" (The Internal Dimension of Meaning. Externalism, Internalism and Semantic Competence), completed with Summa cum laude
• Master Degree in Philosophy ("Laurea") from the State University of Milan, Italy (1997), with a dissertation on "Relativismo, commensurabilità e interpretazione" (Relativism, Commensurability and Interpretation), completed with 110/110 cum laude

Dellantonio's research focuses on the intersection of philosophy and cognitive science, particularly in the areas of philosophy of psychology, epistemology of cognitive sciences, and philosophy of mind and language. Her work explores fundamental questions about concepts, representations, and meanings, with special attention to how bodily experiences and emotions influence conceptualization. She has developed a perceptual theory of emotions, arguing for the continuity between bodily experiences and emotional recognition. Her research also investigates the continuum between concrete and abstract concepts, proposing that abstract concepts may originate from both external and internal perceptual experiences. Dellantonio endorses an empiricist view of the mind, suggesting that empiricist explanations should be pursued as far as possible before resorting to nativist explanations.

Her publication record demonstrates a consistent focus on the relationship between bodily perception, emotional awareness, and conceptual development, with recent work increasingly centered on alexithymia (a condition characterized by difficulty identifying and describing emotions) and its implications for understanding emotional processing. Her research shows a trajectory from foundational philosophical questions about concepts and meaning toward more clinically relevant investigations of emotional awareness disorders.

Dellantonio has significant editorial experience, serving as Co-founding Editor of the Rivista Internazionale di Filosofia e Psicologia (International Journal for Philosophy and Psychology) since 2010 and as a Member of the Editorial Board for Direito & Práxis since 2010. She has also been actively involved in academic service, including coordination activities for doctoral programs, Erasmus projects, and tutoring activities at the University of Trento.