Yayun Zhang

Yayun Zhang is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Language Development Department at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, where she investigates the cognitive mechanisms underlying early word learning and developmental trajectories in naturalistic contexts.

Her educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology and Cognitive Science from Indiana University, USA (2020)

Dr. Zhang employs multimodal methodologies to study how infants and toddlers leverage natural statistics in everyday learning environments, with expertise in head-mounted eye tracking and audio analysis of infant-parent interactions. Her current research examines linguistic processing during book-reading contexts, focusing on real-time information processing and co-constructed interactional routines that sustain joint attention. This work bridges developmental psychology and cognitive science through naturalistic observation and controlled experimental paradigms.

Prior to joining the Max Planck Institute in September 2022, she conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Texas at Austin. Her methodological approach emphasizes ecological validity while maintaining experimental rigor in studying foundational language acquisition processes.