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David H. Uttal

David H. Uttal

  • Professor, Education
  • Professor, Psychology

Contact

duttal@northwestern.edu
Swift Hall Room 102, 2029 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208
Website
Curriculum Vitae

Academic Area

Teaching, Learning, and Education
Social and Economic Policy

Research Interests

Mental representation, cognitive development, spatial cognition, early symbolization.

Biography

Education

  • PhD, University of Michigan, 1989

Awards and Honors

  • 2022 – Winner of the  International Mind, Brain, and Education Society’s research translation award
  • 2014 – Winner of the George A. Miller Award from the American Psychological Association for the most distinguished publication in general psychology
  • 2008 – Associate Editor, Merrill-Palmer Quarterly
  • 2008 –  Member, Standing Grant Review Panel, Mathematics and Science, Institute for Education Sciences, U. S. Department of Education
  • 2007 – Member of the Math and Science Education grant review panel of the Institute of Educational Sciences of the U.S. Department of Education
  • 2007 – Advisory board, Assembly of curriculum materials for a general-education course in spatial thinking, tying in spatial analysis and geography

Selected Publications

Jant, Erin; Haden, Catherine; Uttal, David; Babcock, Elizabeth (2014). Conversation and object manipulation influence children’s learning in a museum. Child Development.

Jee, Benjamin; Gentner, Dedre; Uttal, David; Sageman, Bradley; Forbus, Kenneth; Manduca, Cathryn; Ormand, Carol; Shipley, Thomas; Tikoff, Basil (2014). Drawing on Experience: How Domain Knowledge Is Reflected in Sketches of Scientific Structures and Processes. Research in Science Education.

Jee, Benjamin; Uttal, David; Gentner, Dedre; Manduca, Cathy; Shipley, Thomas; Sageman, Bradley (2013). Finding faults: Analogical comparison supports spatial concept learning in geoscience. Cognitive Processing; 14(2): 175-187.

Uttal, David; Miller, David; Newcombe, Nora (2013). Exploring and Enhancing Spatial Thinking: Links to Achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics?. Current Directions in Psychological Science; 22(5): 367-373.

Uttal, David; Meadow, Nathaniel; Tipton, Elizabeth; Hand, Linda; Alden, Alison; Warren, Christopher; Newcombe, Nora (2013). The malleability of spatial skills: A meta-analysis of training studies. Psychological Bulletin; 139(2): 352-402.