How do young infants and children make sense of their social world? In this talk, I will present two lines of my research on early social cognition: sociomoral reasoning in infancy and stereotype development in early childhood.

First, in my work on infants’ sociomoral reasoning, I investigate the developmental origins of human moral cognition. I ask what sociomoral principles guide infants’ expectations about social interactions. My findings show that even very young infants possess expectations about the principle of ingroup support (e.g., individuals should help or comfort ingroup members in need) and the principle of reciprocity (e.g., reciprocity regulates interactions between strangers). These results shed light on the “first draft” of human moral cognition and reveal how our moral expectations emerge early in life.

Second, in my work on stereotype development, I investigate the developmental roots of inequality across social groups. Among these disparities, women’s underrepresentation in many academic fields and prestigious careers is a persistent challenge, partly fueled by the gender-brilliance stereotype, which links intellectual talent more strongly to men than to women. My research shows that this stereotype emerges early in childhood and shapes gendered representations of ability. I will also discuss interventions designed to unlock girls’ potential and address gender disparities at their developmental roots. Together, these findings illuminate how social inequality emerges and what can be done to counteract it.