sabbagh@queensu.ca

Mark is the Principal Investigator for the lab. He started the lab when he arrived at Queen’s in 2000. Our work is funded by grants from NSERC and SSHRC. CV

madison.crummey@queensu.ca

I am the coordinator for the Early Experience Lab as well as the theory of mind projects coordinator for the Mood Research Lab at Queen’s University. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Honours in Psychology and Sociology at Queen’s in spring of 2026. During my last year of studies, I completed my honours thesis in the Mood Research Lab under the supervision of Dr. Kate Harkness. My project took focus on the intersection of depression and theory of mind, specifically the role of dysphoria (i.e.  mild-to-moderate depressive symptoms) in shaping the relationship between individuals’ motivation to engage their theory of mind and their observable social behaviour in communication with a partner. I’m excited to be in Kingston working with the EEL lab team through the 2026-27 terms!

Brooke is a 4th year PhD student whose research investigates how children search for information and change their minds over time. She's interested in how children decide whether and what to explore, how they incorporate feedback about their choices, and how this process ultimately results in learning.

Aditi is a second-year MSc student in Developmental Psychology with an interest in how interpersonal experiences in early childhood shape cognitive and emotional development across diverse cultural contexts. Specifically, I'm interested in how cross-cultural differences in affectionate touch influence the development of theory of mind and social cognition in children.

I’m a first-year PhD student in Developmental Psychology. My research interests focus on children’s social-cognitive development, particularly how cultural experiences and parent–child interactions shape children’s understanding of other people’s thoughts, feelings, and perspectives. I’m especially interested in how children come to understand that the same situation can be interpreted differently by different people. Outside the lab, you can usually find me on a badminton court!

Bio coming soon.

Bio coming soon.

Carys is a 4th year psychology major completing her honours thesis with the EEL lab. This is her second year with the lab, and she is excited to continue researching how children search for new information, more specifically how children’s higher order beliefs influence information search behaviours. She is particularly interested in understanding how children learn about the world around them through exploration and play.

Mya is a fourth year Psychology student completing her honours thesis with the EEL lab. She is excited to be part of the CUDDL-EEG research study, where she will explore how cuddling may influence brain regions involved in social cognition and theory of mind. More broadly, her research interests focus on the social and emotional development of pre-school aged children, particularly how early experiences and relationships shape development.

Eliana is a fourth-year Biopsychology major completing two directed labs with the EEL lab. This is Eliana’s second year working with the EEL Lab, and she is excited to continue researching how cuddling and affectionate touch between parent-child dyads may influence social cognitive development, executive functioning, and theory of mind. More broadly, her research interests include the connection between neurobiology and children’s development of social cognition, behaviour, and affective expression, in both typical and neurodivergent populations.

I’m Eric, a fourth-year Bachelor of Arts (Honours) student majoring in psychology and a current directed lab student. This is my second academic year as a research assistant at EEL. My directed lab project involves systematically reviewing the role of demographic variables in theory of mind.

Faye is a fourth-year Psychology student completing a directed lab with the EEL lab. She is particularly interested in neuropsychology and how the brain supports cognitive processes across different tasks. Faye is especially interested in this research because she loves working with children and is excited to learn how social touch may influence brain regions involved in social cognition and theory of mind.