Award Winners

Eleanor Maccoby Book Award

Geoffrey B. Saxe is the 2015 recipient of the Maccoby Book Award for his book, Cultural Development of Mathematical Ideas: Papua New Guinea Studies (Cambridge University Press). Saxe describes the counting system of the Oksapmin, in which a sequence of body parts is enumerated. Based on experimental and field research conducted in Papua New Guinea over a span of more than twenty years, Saxe offers a rich and meticulous analysis of how the counting system was transmitted and altered in the wake of larger societal changes, notably the shift from a trade to a cash economy, and the arrival of Western style schooling. The book is essential reading for anyone interested in how representational tools, such as number, are situated in cultural history and evolve over time.

Mentor Award

Dr. Paul Harris received the Mentor Award for 2014. Those who recommended Dr. Harris noted that he has been a leader in the field of developmental psychology for over 30 years, researching topics such as Theory of Mind, children's understanding of emotion and imagination and children's selective learning from others. Dr. Harris' books have been translated into numerous languages and he is frequently asked to give invited talks abroad. Those he has so effectively mentored include students just starting their doctoral career to established full professors, as well as former students who have pursued careers in the private sector. His nominators noted that he is open and honest with everyone he meets and he is careful to credit ideas to their origins. Through his mentorship of the next generation of scientists he has spread his influence across the globe.

Early Career Research Award

Dr. Kathleen Corriveau received the Early Career Award for 2014. Her research focuses on social cognitive development in early childhood, with a specific interest in how children use information from others to learn about the world. Dr. Corriveau is very grateful for this award, and will use the funds to further explore the relationship between adult explanations and children's theory formation. In addition to providing insight to the conditions under which young children's learning of concepts are enhanced by explanations, the results will focus on individual differences in explanation preference based on upbringing. Understanding differences in explanation preference should have a broad impact for guidelines on how to provide explanations in informal learning environments, such as museums, and in more formal classroom learning environments.