Robert Hepach
Associate Professor of Developmental Psychology
- Tutorial Fellow, New College, Oxford
I am a developmental psychologist who studies social cognition and motivation in early ontogeny from the first year of life to school-age: How young children’s understanding of the social world shapes their own behaviour to initiate, maintain, and repair cooperative relationships with others.
Together with my colleagues we have designed integrative experimental paradigms that allow us to assess children’s internal states and subtle emotional expressions while they engage with their peers in naturalistic study designs. We use eye tracking, pupillometry, and depth sensor imaging to capture the internal mechanisms that underlie young children’s (pro)social motivation.
Current Research Grants
The affective mechanisms underlying joint attention and joint action in infancy and toddlerhood (Co-PI: Dr. Christine Michel)
German Research Foundation, DFG (2020 - 2023)
Recent publications
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The pupil collaboration: A multi-lab, multi-method analysis of goal attribution in infants.
Journal article
Sirois S. et al, (2023), Infant Behav Dev, 73
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How "peer-fear" of others' evaluations can regulate young children's cooperation.
Journal article
Hepach R. and Gerdemann SC., (2023), Behav Brain Sci, 46
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Children's affective involvement in early word learning.
Journal article
Outters V. et al, (2023), Sci Rep, 13
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Approach-avoidance orientations can predict young children's decision-making.
Journal article
Benozio A. et al, (2023), PLoS One, 18
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The role of interest in young children's retention of words
Journal article
Ackermann L. et al, (2023), Infant and Child Development