After completing a Masters degree (Mag.) in Clinical Psychology (2000 - 2005) at the University of Salzburg, Austria, I went on to do a Ph.D (2005 - 2010) and a PostDoc (2010 - 2013) in Cognitive Developmental Psychology supervised by Prof. Josef Perner at the University of Salzburg. In 2013 I moved to the University of Konstanz, Germany, to work with Prof. Wolfgang Spohn on philosophical issues of counterfactual reasoning. In the same year I joined the University of Stirling as a Lecturer. In 2019 I was appointed as Senior Lecturer.
My main research interests lie in the area of social cognitive development. Most of my work focusses on the development of counterfactual reasoning (i.e., what children conclude, if past events had not occurred the way they did) and how this is related to the development of complex emotions (e.g. regret, relief) and theory of mind. More recently I have started to investigate how schooling affects neuro-cognitive development.
If you are interested in a PhD, I am also happy to chat with students about project ideas, so feel free to send me an email and we can organise a meeting.
Agency, Rationality, and Epistemic Defeat
PI: Dr Giacomo Melis
Funded by: Medical Research Council
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Dissociating the Effects of Age and Schooling on Neurocognitive Development
PI: Dr Eva Rafetseder
Funded by: Jacobs Foundation
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On the acquisition of counterfactual reasoning and ensuing abilities
PI: Dr Eva Rafetseder
Funded by: German Research Foundation
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Article
Home Enrichment Is Associated with Visual Working Memory Function in Preschoolers
Davidson C, Caes L, Shing YL, McKay C, Rafetseder E & Wijeakumar S (2023) Home Enrichment Is Associated with Visual Working Memory Function in Preschoolers. Mind, Brain, and Education. https://doi.org/10.1111/mbe.12383
Article
The first year in formal schooling improves working memory and academic abilities
Davidson C, Shing YL, McKay C, Rafetseder E & Wijeakumar S (2023) The first year in formal schooling improves working memory and academic abilities. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 60, p. 101205. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101205
Book Chapter
Developing Theory of Mind and Counterfactual Reasoning in Children
Perner J, Kulakova E & Rafetseder E (2022) Developing Theory of Mind and Counterfactual Reasoning in Children. In: Houde O & Borst G (eds.) Cambridge University Press, pp. 408-426. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108399838.022
Article
Blakey KH, Renner E, Atkinson M, Rafetseder E & Caldwell CA (2022) Children transition from simple associations to explicitly reasoned social learning strategies between age four and eight. Scientific Reports, 12 (1), Art. No.: 5045. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-09092-1
Article
Blakey KH, Atkinson M, Rafetseder E, Renner E & Caldwell CA (2022) Taking account of others' goals in social information use: Developmental changes in 3- to 7-year-old children. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 215, Art. No.: 105325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2021.105325
Article
Development of strategic social information seeking: Implications for cumulative culture
Blakey KH, Rafetseder E, Atkinson M, Renner E, Cowan-Forsythe F, Sati SJ & Caldwell CA (2021) Development of strategic social information seeking: Implications for cumulative culture. PLOS ONE, 16 (8), Art. No.: e0256605. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0256605
Article
Disentangling age and schooling effects on inhibitory control development: An fNIRS investigation
McKay C, Wijeakumar S, Rafetseder E & Shing YL (2021) Disentangling age and schooling effects on inhibitory control development: An fNIRS investigation. Developmental Science. https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.13205
Article
McKay C, Shing YL, Rafetseder E & Wijeakumar S (2021) Home assessment of visual working memory in pre-schoolers reveals associations between behaviour, brain activation and parent reports of life stress. Developmental Science, 24 (4), Art. No.: e13094. https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.13094
Article
Rafetseder E, O'Brien C, Leahy B & Perner J (2021) Extended difficulties with counterfactuals persist in reasoning with false beliefs: Evidence for Teleology-in-Perspective. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 204, Art. No.: 105058.
Article
Wilks CEH, Rafetseder E, Renner E, Atkinson M & Caldwell CA (2021) Cognitive Prerequisites for Cumulative Culture are Context-Dependent: Children's Potential for Ratcheting Depends on Cue Longevity. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 204, Art. No.: 105031. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2020.105031
Article
Children struggle beyond preschool-age in a continuous version of the ambiguous figures task
Rafetseder E, Schuster S, Hawelka S, Doherty M, Anderson B, Danckert J & Stöttinger E (2021) Children struggle beyond preschool-age in a continuous version of the ambiguous figures task. Psychological Research, 85 (2), pp. 828-841. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-019-01278-z
Article
The role of context in "over-imitation": Evidence of movement-based goal inference in young children
March J, Rigby Dames B, Caldwell C, Doherty M & Rafetseder E (2020) The role of context in "over-imitation": Evidence of movement-based goal inference in young children. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 190, Art. No.: 104713. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2019.104713
Commentary
Are counterfactuals in and about time?
Beck SR & Rafetseder E (2019) Are counterfactuals in and about time?. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 42, Art. No.: e245. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0140525x19000591
Commentary
Poulin-Dubois D, Rakoczy H, Burnside K, Crivello C, Dörrenberg S, Edwards K, Krist H, Kulke L, Liszkowski U, Low J, Perner J, Powell L, Priewasser B, Rafetseder E & Ruffman T (2018) Do infants understand false beliefs? We don't know yet – A commentary on Baillargeon, Buttelmann and Southgate's commentary. Commentary on: Baillargeon, R., Buttelmann, D., & Southgate, V. (2018). Invited Commentary: Interpreting failed replications of early false-belief findings: Methodological andtheoretical considerations. Cognitive Development, 46, 112–124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2018.06.001.. Cognitive Development, 48, pp. 302-315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2018.09.005
Article
Helping as an early indicator of a theory of mind: Mentalism or Teleology?
Priewasser B, Rafetseder E, Gargitter C & Perner J (2018) Helping as an early indicator of a theory of mind: Mentalism or Teleology?. Cognitive Development, 46, pp. 69-78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2017.08.002
Article
Belief and Counterfactuality: A teleological theory of belief attribution
Rafetseder E & Perner J (2018) Belief and Counterfactuality: A teleological theory of belief attribution. Zeitschrift fur Psychologie, 226 (2), pp. 110-121. https://doi.org/10.1027/2151-2604/a000327
Article
Little Scientists – Big Impact
Caes L, Caldwell CA, Rafetseder E, Grainger C, Renner E, Atkinson M, Shing YL & Kuipers JR (2017) Little Scientists – Big Impact [The Developmental Research Team at the University of Stirling explain why they love their psychology kindergarten]. The Psychologist, 30, pp. 30-33. https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-30/october/little-scientists-big-impact
Letter
Agenda for conceptualising and researching praise and criticism
Siddaway A & Rafetseder E (2016) Agenda for conceptualising and researching praise and criticism. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 52 (1), p. 99. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpc.13015
Article
Young children’s protest: what it can (not) tell us about early normative understanding
Brandl JL, Esken F, Priewasser B & Rafetseder E (2015) Young children’s protest: what it can (not) tell us about early normative understanding. Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences, 14 (4), pp. 719-740. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11097-015-9437-8
Article
Basic Conditional Reasoning: How Children Mimic Counterfactual Reasoning
Leahy B, Rafetseder E & Perner J (2014) Basic Conditional Reasoning: How Children Mimic Counterfactual Reasoning. Studia Logica, 102 (4), pp. 793-810. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11225-013-9510-7
Article
Counterfactual Reasoning: Sharpening Conceptual Distinctions in Developmental Studies
Rafetseder E & Perner J (2014) Counterfactual Reasoning: Sharpening Conceptual Distinctions in Developmental Studies. Child Development Perspectives, 8 (1), pp. 54-58. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12061
Article
Counterfactual reasoning: From childhood to adulthood
Rafetseder E, Schwitalla M & Perner J (2013) Counterfactual reasoning: From childhood to adulthood. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 114 (3), pp. 389-404. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2012.10.010
Article
When the alternative would have been better: Counterfactual reasoning and the emergence of regret
Rafetseder E & Perner J (2012) When the alternative would have been better: Counterfactual reasoning and the emergence of regret. Cognition and Emotion, 26 (5), pp. 800-819. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2011.619744
Book Chapter
Counterfactual and Other Forms of Conditional Reasoning: Children Lost in the Nearest Possible World
Perner J & Rafetseder E (2011) Counterfactual and Other Forms of Conditional Reasoning: Children Lost in the Nearest Possible World. In: Hoerl C, McCormack T & Beck S (eds.) Understanding Counterfactuals, Understanding Causation: Issues in Philosophy and Psychology. Consciousness and Self-Consciousness Series. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 90-109. http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/product/9780199590698.do
Article
Is reasoning from counterfactual antecedents evidence for counterfactual reasoning?
Rafetseder E & Perner J (2010) Is reasoning from counterfactual antecedents evidence for counterfactual reasoning?. Thinking and Reasoning, 16 (2), pp. 131-155. https://doi.org/10.1080/13546783.2010.488074
Article
Counterfactual reasoning: Developing a sense of "nearest possible world"
Rafetseder E, Cristi-Vargas R & Perner J (2010) Counterfactual reasoning: Developing a sense of "nearest possible world". Child Development, 81 (1), pp. 376-389. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2009.01401.x
I coordinate the third-year UG module Developmental Psychology. I also run final year electives on various topics and I contribute to the Masters modules Child Development and Psychology Conversion Course. I supervise both undergraduate and postgraduate dissertations that align with my research interests. Please get in touch if you want to know more.
