Welcome!

The Social Cognition and Learning (SoCal) Lab is a developmental psychology and neuroscience lab. We study how infants and children think about, learn from, and interact with other people. For more information feel free to browse our site and contact us with any questions. 

Lab News

November 2023: Lab RA Carlos Aguilar was accepted into the McNair Scholars Program! Congrats, Carlos!

September 2023: Lauren Smith, Jamie Park, and Lindsey Powell presented posters at Flux/FIT'NG! 

June 2023: Congratulations to our incredible graduating RAs: Naomi, Gabe, Marissa, Ana, Boyu, and Yasmine!

May 2023: Our first empirical paper, on infants' relationship-based expectations of empathic happiness, was accepted for publication!

May 2023: Lab RAs Nico Navarro and Jamie Park were awarded summer Undergraduate Research Scholarships!

May 2023: Lab RAs Naomi Batarse and Ana Correa-Avila-Robb earned department awards for excellence in undergraduate research!


Study Spotlight

Ages:  14 - 20 month olds


What motivates babies to help?



*This study is conducted in person at 

our lab on the UCSD campus*