Dr. Catherine Tamis Lemonda

Biography

Catherine Tamis-LeMonda is a Professor in the Department of Applied Psychology at NYU Steinhardt. Her research focuses on the multifaceted processes of infant and toddler learning and development within cultural contexts. She seeks to understand how developing skills in various domains reciprocally affect one another over time, a concept she refers to as ‘developmental cascades.’ Her studies investigate language acquisition, communication, play, and the interactions between parents and their children, specifically how responsive engagement enriches child-directed language and shapes developmental trajectories. Dr. Tamis-LeMonda employs a variety of research methods, including longitudinal analyses and naturalistic observations, to explore these bi-directional processes among children from diverse economic and ethnic backgrounds. She leads a research team that includes undergraduates, Masters students, PhD candidates, and postdoctoral fellows, who are together committed to advancing nuanced understandings of learning and development across cultural and ethnic groups in the US and internationally. Her work informs the interdisciplinary Applied Psychology program at NYU Steinhardt, preparing students for careers as professors, researchers, and human services professionals.

Research Interests