Research
Diversity and Development in Context
Prof Devine studies why people differ in how they think, learn and interact. His research focuses on understanding developmental diversity, especially in social cognition (how we understand other people’s minds) and executive function (the skills used to control behaviour). He uses advanced quantitative methods to improve how development and diversity are measured. His research seeks to explain the causes and consequences of differences in learning, wellbeing and mental health.
Prof Devine’s research crosses different developmental periods (i.e., from infancy to adolescence and early adulthood), incorporates diverse populations, seeks to generate innovative measurement tools, adopts a range of research designs (i.e., longitudinal, cross-cultural, meta-analysis, interventions), and embraces cutting-edge statistical modeling to understand developmental diversity and change.
Social-Emotional Skills and Social-Cognitive Development
Understanding others’ minds (‘theory of mind’ or ‘mindreading’).
Regulating thoughts and actions (‘self-regulation’ or ‘executive function’).
Contextual influences on child development (e.g., parents/caregivers, siblings, teachers, peers).
Links between individual differences in social and cognitive abilities and social adjustment, academic achievement, neurodiversity, and mental health.
Psychometric test design and development, longitudinal methods, structural equation modelling, machine learning and AI.
