Victoria Vizzini
Northwestern University 2021, BA
Reserach
“Children’s Predictions of Gender Preferences for Block Play: Gender Stereotypes and Implications for Childhood Engagement of Spatial Skills”, Cognitive Development Society, March 2024
Biography
Victoria Vizzini is a third-year graduate student in the Developmental Science Program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She earned her bachelor's degree in Psychology with departmental honors from Northwestern University with minors in Chinese and English Literature. During her time at Northwestern University, she worked in the Infant and Child Development Center (ICDC) under the supervision of Dr. Sandra Waxman studying language and cognition in early childhood. Through the IDCD lab, she conducted an honors thesis project examining the effect of non-native accent on children's processing speed and language development and was heavily involved in the study design as well as development of the stimuli for the study. These experiences in a cognitive-developmental lab have inspired her continue into graduate school. She is interested in a cognitive developmental approach to understanding why individuals learn about the world around them. Specifically, she is examining how cognitive abilities relate to children's understanding of gender stereotypes and its impact on spatial toys with implications in helping to encourage girls into STEM fields. She also has interests in feedback processing and executive function in children with ADHD.