David H. Uttal Associate Professor, Psychology Associate Professor, Education Swift Hall Room 102 2029 Sheridan Road Evanston, IL 60208-2705 Phone: (847) 467-1925 Fax: (847) 491-7859

Department of Psychology webpage

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

Year		Degree		Institution
1989		PhD		University of Michigan

Uttal, D.H., Liu, Linda L., Lewis, A., and Genter, D. (2008). Development changes in children's understanding of the similarity between photographs and their referents. Developmental Science .

Uttal, D.H., O'Doherty, K. (2008). Comprehending and learning from visual representations. A developmental approach. . J. Gilbert, M. Reiner, and M. Nakhleh.

Rapp, D., & Uttal, D. H. (2006). Understanding and enhancing visualizations: Two models of collaboration between earth science and cognitive science in C. Manduca & D. Mogk (Eds.), Earth and mind: Interdisciplinary research in cognitive science and the geosciences.

Uttal, D. H., Fisher, J. A., & Taylor, H. A (2006). Words and maps: Children’s mental models of spatial information acquired from maps and from descriptions. Developmental Science: 221-235.

Uttal, D. H., Sandstrom, L. S., & Newcombe, N (2006). One hidden object, two spatial codes: Young children’s use of relational and vector coding. Journal of Cognition and Development: 503-525.

Ware, E. A., Uttal, D. H., Wetter, E. K., & DeLoache, J. S (2006). Young children make scale errors when playing with dolls. Developmental Science.

Newcombe, N. C., & Uttal, D. H. (2006). Whorf versus Socrates, Round 10. Trends in Cognitive Science: 394-396.

Jee, B. D., Uttal, D. H., & Gentner, D. (2008). To find fault is easy? The role of comparison in learning a geological structure. . Presented at the annual meetings of the Cognitive Science Society
. Washington D.C., DC.

Sauter, M., & Uttal, D. H. (2008). Pointing our the role of gesture in spatial development. . Presented at the annual meetings of the Cognitive Science Society
. Wahington D.C., DC.

Jee. B. D., Uttal, D. H., Gentner, D., Sageman, B., Manduca, C., Shipley, T., & Ormand, C. (2008). Comparisons rock: Using comparison to facilitate perceptual learning of a geoscience concept. Presented at the annual meetings of the Association for Psychological Science. Chicago, IL.

Hand, L. L, Uttal, D. H., Marulis, L., Newcombe, N. S. (2008). A Meta-analysis of training effects on spatial skills. Presented at the annual meetings of the Association for Psychological Science
. Chicago, IL.

Sauter, M., & Uttal, D. H. (2008). It’s in their hands: Gesturing influences children’s spatial thinking. . Presented at the annual meetings of the Association for Psychological Science
. Chicago, IL.

Ware, E. A., Deloache, J. S., & Uttal D. H (2006). Scale Errors Occur Outside of the Lab: Real-World Examples from Parents. Presented at the annual meetings of the Midwestern Psychological Association. Chicago, IL.

Schaal, A., Uttal, D. H., Levine, S., & Goldin-Meadow, S. (2006). Gesture’s Influence on the Integration of Spatial Information: Evidence from Children and Adults. Presented at the annual meetings of the Midwestern Psychological Association. Chicago, IL.

Marulis, L. M., Warren, C., Lewis, A., Newcombe, N., & Uttal, D.H. (2006). Effects of Training or Experience on Spatial Ability: A Meta-Analysis. Presented at the annual meetings of the Midwestern Psychological Association. Chicago, IL.

Schaal, A., Uttal, D. H., Meyer, A., Goldin-Meadow, S., & Levine, S. (2006). Words, Gestures, and Maps: Developmental Changes in the Integration of Spatial Information. Presented at the biennial meetings of the Conference on Human Development. Louisville, KY.

Uttal, D. H., DeLoache, J., Amaya, M., & Harmon, K. (2006). Concreteness and Symbolic Development: The Effects of Playing with Concrete Objects on Children’s Number and Letter Knowledge. Presented at the annual meetings of the American Education Research Association. San Francisco, CA.

Uttal, D. H., Amaya, M., Marulis, L., & DeLoache, J. (2006). When, How and Why Do Concrete Objects Facilitate Young Children’s Learning?. In D. Abramson (Chair) What’s a Situation in Situated Cognition? Presented at the biennial meetings of the International Conference of the Learning Sciences. Bloomington, IN.

Amaya, M., Bostwick, M., Uttal, D., & DeLoache, J (2005). Play and symbolic development: The effect of manipulatives on children’s early literacy skills.

Marulis, L., Warren, C., Uttal, D., & Newcombe, N (2005). The effects of training on spatial cognition in children: A meta analysis.

Uttal, D., & Newcombe, N. S (2005). One landmark, two spatial codes: The development of distance and relational coding. In T. L. Solomon & S. C. Levine (Chairs), Early development of relational coding: Abilities and Limitations.

Ware, E., Uttal, D., & DeLoache, J (2005). Scale errors occur outside of the lab: Real-world examples from parents.

Uttal. D. H (2005). Map use and the development of spatial cognition.

Matuk, C., & Uttal, D. H. Entertaining evolution: Understanding science from animations.. Presented at the biennial meetings of the International Society of the Learning Sciences
. The Netherlands.

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

LOC 313		Learning and Thinking in Organizations This course presents an overview of learning, thinking, and decision-making in organizational contexts.  The course is intended to build on students' basic knowledge of cognitive science and to apply this knowledge to the challenges that organizations face.   The focus is primarily on individuals, but issues are set in real-world organizations.  Specific topics that we will cover include the following: Biases in decision-making in medical, managerial, and legal contexts; how individuals interpret data and how those intepretations influence organizational planning and evaluation, learning and analogy in negogiation; organizing learning to facilitate transfer, and the influence of knowledge and experience influence new learning and training.   Many of the readings will be original research articles, drawn from research on cognition, organizational psychology, the science of learning. We will also read some or all of the following books:   Bazerman, Max. Judgment in managerial decision making.   Gilovich, Thomas. How we know what isn't so.   Groopman, Jerome.  How doctors think.   Prerequisites:  Students must have taken and passed at least one of the following courses:   Learning, Representation, and Reasoning, Cog Sci 211 Cognitive Psychology, Psych 228 Learning and Understanding, LOC 212    Evaluations will be based on a midterm, a final exam, a final project and presentation, and class participation.
LOC 212		Learning and Understanding Framework for learning in all aspects of life: traditional school subjects, professional training, creative and performing arts, personal health, basic survival skills.  Students are encouraged to draw from their own experiences.

Year		Organization		Position		Description
2008		Society for Research in Child Development		Member
2008		Jean Piaget Society		Program Committee Member
2008		Governing Council of the Midwestern Psychology Society		Member
2007		Society for Research in Child Development		Program Committee
2007		Society for Research in Child Development		Panel Chair
2007		Midwestern Psychological Association		Program Chair
2007		Midwestern Psychological Association		Program Chair
2007		Midwestern Psychological Association		Program Chair
2007		Jean Piaget Society		Program Committee
2007		Cognitive Development Society		Program Committee
2007		American Psychological Association		Fellow
2007		American Psychological Association		Treasurer
2007		American Education Research Association		Program Committee
2006		Society for Research in Child Development		Panel Chair, Program Committee
2006		NSF Curriculum Development		Advisory Board Member		I was asked to serve (and accepted) on the advisory board for an NSF proposal for the assembly of curriculum materials for a general-education course in spatial thinking, tying in spatial analysis and geography.
2006		Midwestern Psychological Association		Program Chair		I performed this service at the annual meeting.
2006		Institute of Educational Sciences of the U.S. Department of Education		Standing Member of the Math and Science Education grant review panel
2006		American Psychological Association		Fellow		I served as Treasurer for my division of this organization through December, 2006.
2005		Institute of Educational Sciences of the U.S. Department of Education		Standing member		I was selected to serve as a standing member of the Math and Science Education grant review panel of the Institute of Educational Sciences of the U.S. Department of Education.

Year		Journal Name		Position
2006		Spatial Cognition and Computation		Editor
2006		Psychological Science		Reviewer
2006		Merril-Palmer Quarterly		Editor
2006		Developmental Psychology		Reviewer
2006		Cognitive Science		Reviewer

2008 - Present		I serve as an occasional lecturer for local child care groups.
2007 - Present		I occasionally conduct lectures and workshops for preschools and schools on early childhood education.
		I gave a guest lecture at the teacher professional development monthly meeting at Kingsley Elementary School in Evanston.

2008

Summary statement of recent accomplishments and im I had a good year. Several projects have come to fruition, and others are moving along as planned. I also began an interesting new line of research. The first major accomplishment was the submission and publication of several journal articles and book chapters. The work focuses on children’s interpretation of the spatial features in symbols such as maps and photographs. In one paper (Uttal et al., Developmental Science), we demonstrated that children’s understanding of the relation between photographs and their referents in the world (i.e. what is shown in the photograph) continues to develop into the elementary school years. Most people would assume, we think, that photographs are transparent representations, but the developmental perspective suggests that they are not. The second accomplishment was the funding of two grant proposals. One is a Training Grant from the Institute of Education Sciences. We focus on training graduate students from a variety of disciplines to conduct rigorous educational research. The second grant is for a project known as Omaha Science Media. In conjunction with the Omaha Public Schools and the University of Nebraska, I am studying ways to enhance student interest in science. Our focus is on teaching students and teachers to use radio production techniques to facilitate science communication. My role is head of research and evaluation of the project. The third accomplishment was my participation in obtaining full finding for the Spatial Intelligence and Learning Center (SILC). This is a multi-university, interdisciplinary Center that studies spatial cognition and its role in education. The past year was a critical one, as we were evaluated successfully for full funding, which is over $5,000,00 per year (across several universities). We are not well positioned to make major advances in understanding the neural and psychological foundation of spatial cognition and its role in education. During the coming year I plan to focus on publishing our work on visual representations of evolution. We are considering publishing this work in book form. I also will complete revisions on a meta-analysis of spatial analysis and the role of concrete and abstract representations in early learning of numbers of letters. Finally, I will apply for research funding for our work on map learning.