معرفی
Sarah Kucker is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Southern Methodist University, joining in January 2023. Her research focuses on cognitive development, language acquisition, digital media effects, and word learning in infants and toddlers. She employs a dynamic systems approach to examine how environmental contexts interact with individual differences in developmental outcomes.
- Education:
- Postdoctoral Fellowship, Callier Center for Communication Disorders, University of Texas Dallas
- M.A. and Ph.D., University of Iowa
- B.A. and B.S., Drake University
Dr. Kucker's work explores topics such as novelty biases in word learning, embodied cognition, temperament influences on vocabulary, language delays in children, and caregiver-child STEM communication in museums. She currently holds an R15 grant from NICHD to study word learning mechanisms in digital media contexts.
Her Google Scholar publications reveal trends in digital media effects on language development, temperament analysis, and dynamic models of word learning. Key sub-fields include socioeconomic status impacts, orthographic processing, shape biases, and dyadic communication.
- Scientific Awards:
- NICHD R15 grant for digital media and word learning research
Dr. Kucker leads the SMU Kids In Development (KID) Lab, which emphasizes inclusive research practices and investigates pathways to successful cognitive and language development. She previously held faculty positions at Oklahoma State University and the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.
