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I received my PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences in April of 2009, studying causal learning and conceptual change in children. I am now a post-doc at University of California, Berkeley working with Professor Tom Griffiths in the Computational Cognitive Science Lab. My research bridges two research traditions: Cognitive Development and Computational Modeling By bridging these methods, I hope to understand the structure of children's early causal beliefs, how evidence and prior beliefs interact to affect children's learning, and the additional developmental processes that influence children's belief revisions. My current work is examining how rational process models (approaches that approximate rational inference) shed insight on learning behavior that may sometimes appear "non-optimal", such as whether children evaluate a sampled subset of possible hypotheses during causal learning and induction. |
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Bonawitz, E.B., Fischer, A., & Schulz, L. (in review) Teaching three-and-a-half year olds to reason about ambiguous evidence. Bonawitz, E.B, & Lombrozo, T. (in review) Occam's Rattle: Children's use of simplicity and probability to constrain inference. Schulz, L., Bonawitz, E.B., & Standing, H. (2008) Word, thought, and deed: The role of object labels in children's inductive inferences and exploratory play. Developmental Psychology, 44(5), 1266-1276. Shafto, P., Kemp, C., Bonawitz, E.B., Coley, J.D., & Tenenbaum, J.B.. (2008) Reasoning About Causal Transmission. Cognition, 109(2), 175-192. Schulz, L., Bonawitz, E.B., & Griffiths, T.L. (2007) Can being scared give you a tummy ache? Naive theories, ambiguous evidence and preschoolers’ causal inferences. Developmental Psychology, Sep Vol 43(5) 1124-1139.
Bonawitz, E.B*., Shafto, P*., Gweon, H., Chang, I. , Katz, S., & Schulz, L. (2009) The Double-Edged Sword of Pedagogy: Modeling the Effect of Pedagogical Contexts on Preschoolers Exploratory Play. Proceedings of the Thirty-first Cognitive Science Society. *Equal author contribution. Bonawitz, E.B. & Schulz, L.E. (2008) Why Learning is Hard. Symposium on Naturally-Inspired Artificial Intelligence, Proceedings of AAAI. Bonawitz, E.B., Chang, I., Clark, C., & Lombrozo, T. (2008) Ockham's razor as inductive bias in preschoolers causal explanations. Proceedings of the 7th International Conference of Development and Learning. Monterey, CA. Bonawitz, E.B., Fischer, A., Schulz, L.E. (2008) Training a Bayesian: Three-and-a-half-year-olds' reasoning about Ambiguous Evidence. Proceedings of the Thirtieth Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society. Washington, DC. Bonawitz, E.B., Lim, S., & Schulz, L.E. (2007) Weighing the Evidence: Children's theories of Balance affect play. Proceedings of the Twenty-Ninth Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society. Nashville, Tennessee. Bonawitz, E.B., & Schulz, L. (2007) Children's Rational Exploration. AAAI Fall Symposium on Computational Approaches to Representation Change During Learning and Development. Washington DC . Bonawitz, E.B., Griffiths, T.L., & Schulz, L. (2006) Modeling Cross-Domain Causal Learning in Preschoolers as Bayesian Inference. Proceedings of the Twenty-Eighth Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society. Vancouver, Canada. 2006 [Talk Slides PDF] [Received Marr Prize for Best Student Paper] Griffiths, T.L., Baraff, E., & Tenenbaum, J.B. (2004) Using Physical Theories to Infer Hidden Causal Structure. Proceedings of the Twenty-Sixth Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society. [Marr Prize for Best Student Paper, Honorable Mention, Cognitive Science. Chicago, IL]
CHAPTERS & THESES Coley, J.D., Shafto, P., Stepanova, O., & Baraff, E. (2005) Knowledge and Category-Based Induction. In Ahn, W., Goldstone, R. L., Love, B. C., Markman, A. B., & Wolff, P. (Eds.) Categorization inside and outside the laboratory: Essays in honor of Douglas L. Medin. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Baraff, E. (2002). The Effects of Time Constraints on Expert and Novice Reasoning about Music. Northeastern University Honors Thesis.
Bonawitz, E.B. & Schulz, L. (in preparation) Balancing theories and evidence in children's exploration, explanations, and learning. Bonawitz, E.B., Shafto, P., Gweon, H., & Schulz, L.E. (in preparation) The double-edged sword of pedagogy: Teaching limits children's exploratory play. Bonawitz, E.B., Muentener, P., & Schulz, L. (in preparation) The block makes it go: Causal language helps toddlers integrate observation, prediction, and inference about contact relations. Shafto, P., Bonawitz, E.B., Gweon, H., Goodman, N., & Schulz, L. Preschoolers' eavsdropping: Overheard pedagogical information limits preschoolers' exploratory play and subsequent learning. Bonawitz, E.B., Clark, C., Schulz, L., & Tenenbaum, J. (in preparation). Sticking to your beliefs: Children's Theories of Magnetism Emulate History of Science. Bonawitz, E.B., Goodman, N.D., Baker, C.L, Gopnik, A., Wellman, H., Schulz, L.E., Saxe, R., & Tenenbaum, J.B. (in preparation) Ideal Observers in Theory of Mind Cook, C., Bonawitz, E.B., & Schulz, L.E. "Bob thinks this but Emily thinks that": Contrastive beliefs improve kindergartners' scientific reasoning SELECTED TALKS & POSTER PRESENTATIONS Bonawitz, E.B. (2009) Rational Explanation: Modeling the Role of Beliefs and Evidence. Mechanism & Explanation Workshop. Berkeley, CA. Bonawitz E.B., Brenman, S., & Schulz, L. (2009) Believing is Seeing: Children's Causal Beliefs Affect Visual Exploration and Prediction. Thirty-first Cognitive Society Conference Bonawitz, E.B. (2009) "The block makes it go!": Toddlers' ability to integrate prediction, action, and expectations about contact relations. Probabilistic Models of Cognitive Development. Banff International Research Station. Bonawitz, E.B., & Schulz, L. (2009) Language Influences Toddlers' Causal Reasoning: From Correlation to Intervention. Society for Research in Child Development. Symposium: Linguistic Contexts of Causal Cognition: How Children use Language to Learn, Represent and Reason About Cause Bonawitz, E.B., & Schulz, L. (2009) Balancing Theories and Evidence in Children's Exploration, Explanations, and Learning. Society for Research in Child Development. Symposium: How Do Infants and Children Reason About the Support of Asymmetrical Objects? A Developmental Perspective Bonawitz, E.B., (2008) Children's Causal theories affect exploration, explanation, and visual attention. McDonnell Workshop on Problems of Variable Definition. Carnegie Mellon University. Bonawitz, E.B. (2008) The Rational Child: Reasons behind kids quirky behaviors. Lecturer at Museum of Science Life Cycle Adult Workshop, special session on The science of kids, February, 2007. Boston, MA. Bonawitz, E.B. (2007) Can Being Scared Cause Tummy Aches? Naive Theories, Ambiguous Evidence and Preschoolers Causal Inferences. Symposium Chair: What Makes us Sick? Naïve Theories and Biological Reasoning. Society for Research in Child Development. Boston, MA. Bonawitz, E.B, & Lombrozo, T. (2007) Simplicity and Probability in Children's Causal Explanations. Cognitive Science Society. Standing, H., Bonawitz, E.B., & Schulz, L. (2007) The Role of Word Labels in Children's Causal Inductions and Exploratory Play. Cognitive Science Society. Bonawitz, E.B. (2006) Bunnies, Boxes, and Balances: The role of theories, evidence, and free play in children's causal learning. Brown Conference on Causal Reasoning. Providence, RI. Bonawitz, E.B., Griffiths, T.L., & Schulz, L. (2005) Theories, Evidence, and Preschoolers Causal Judgments. Cognitive Development Society, San Diego, CA. (Handout) Coley, J.D. & Baraff, E. (2003). Effects of Time Pressure on Expert and Novice Category-Based Induction. Presentation given at the 44th Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society. Vancouver. Baraff, L. & Coley, J.D. (2002). Expert and Novice Inductive Reasoning in Fast and Slow Conditions. Northeastern University College of Arts & Sciences Experiential Education Expo, May 2002. (SEE POSTER) (See picture of Liz and John at Expo) Baraff, L., & Jacobson, J. (2002). Revisiting Jewish Musicality in America. Northeastern University College of Arts & Science Experiential Education Expo, May 2002. (See Abstract) (See picture of Josh and I working on Project.) PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES Conference and Ad hoc reviewing: Organizing symposia, workshops, and conferences: Symposium Chair: What Makes us Sick? Naïve Theories and Biological Reasoning. March, 2007. Society for Research in Child Development. Boston, MA.
AWARDS Cambridge University Machine Learning Summer School Grant (2009) Travel and Registration funds for MLSS 2009. Elizabeth Munsterberg Koppitz Child Psychology Graduate Fellowships (2008-2009) Dissertation Fellowship from the American Psychological Foundation Cognitive Science Society, NSF Travel Award (2009) CogSci 2009: Strengthening International Connections and Perspectives on Cognitive Science Walle Nauta Award for Continuing Dedication to Teaching (2007) MIT Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences CogSci Student Travel Award (2007) From the Robert J. Glushko and Pamela Samuelson Foundation AAAI Student Travel Award (2007) Computational Approaches to Representation Change During Learning and Development. Marr Prize for Best Student Paper (2006) Cognitive Science Society for Modeling Cross-Domain Causal Learning in Preschoolers as Bayesian Inference. Angus MacDonald Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (2006) MIT Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences Marr Prize for Best Student Paper Honorable Mention (2005) Cognitive Science Society; Second author on T. Griffiths Using Physical Theories to Infer Hidden Causal Structure. National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Honorable Mention (2005, 2004) Sullivan Scholarship: Multidisciplinary Research Award (2002) Northeastern University Faculty Undergraduate Research Institute (FURI) Fellowship (2002) Northeastern University Provost Research Grant (2001) Northeastern University Faculty Scholar Senior Award (2002) Northeastern University MEDIA FEATURES National Geographic Television & Film- Mind: The Gap (Air Date, Spring 2008) Research Consultant, Technical Assistant, Child Studies Coordinator Museum of Science – Innovators Day Discovery Center Exhibit (December, 2006)
Fall 2006: TA for 9.85, Infant and Childhood Cognition; Walle Nauta Award for Continuing Dedication to Teaching Spring 2008: TA for 9.012, Cognitive Science Invited Guest Lecturer: Cognitive Development (MIT, F2007; F2008); Topical Seminar in Developmental Psychology (Berkeley, F2009); Basic Issues in Cognition (Berkeley, F2009) Research Mentored Undergraduates: Museum of Science Staff Science Training Talks (May, 2006; December, 2006; May, 2007, November 2007, May 2008) Early Childhood Cognition Lab and the Museum of Science Discovery Center Collaborative Debriefing on the Science of Cognitive Development Early Childhood Cognition BCS Graduate Student Poster Fair (February, 2006; 2007; 2008; 2009) Early Childhood Cognition Lab Studies of Causal Reasoning in Children. Graduate Resident Tutor (2002-2009) MIT Simmons Hall Undergraduate Advisor. "The job of the Graduate Resident Tutor (GRT) is to foster a supportive, safe, and positive living environment for, and to build a community atmosphere among, undergraduates in MIT residence halls. This responsibility includes encouraging personal growth, providing outlets for managing stress, and facilitating positive interpersonal relationships. GRTs are also responsible for implementing community standards, enhancing security, and promoting mutual respect between and among the residents they serve", (MIT SLP). Founder & Director of Education Vocal Band Aid (2004-2006) Vocal Band Aid provides a means through which its members and the general public may help to support music education in their communities. Through its annual vocal band festival and concert and other activities throughout the year, the organization strives to raise funds to support music education in local schools while promoting its members' contributions to music and to the greater Boston area community at large. (2006 - Concert Album on sale; contact me for copies.)
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Elizabeth Baraff Bonawitz
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