Catherine Haden
Professor, Developmental Psychology
Education
Post-Doctorate Fellowship(s): Center for Developmental Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Doctorate: Ph.D., Emory University, Specialty: Cognition and Development in Psychology
Masters: M.A., Emory University, Specialty: Cognition and Development in Psychology
Bachelors: B.S., Wake Forest University, Major: Psychology
Research Interests
Catherine Haden is an expert in cognition and development who studies children's learning and remembering. A specific focus of the work is on how museum-based practices that encourage families' narratives and storytelling can promote children's science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning and advance diversity in STEM education. For the past 15+ years, Haden has partnered with Chicago Children's Museum, to study family interactions in museum exhibits with children ages 3 to 10 years of age; this work is contributing to understanding and improving young children's informal STEM education outside of school. Guiding this work is the notion that early exposure to fun, creative and meaningful engineering experiences may boost interest and the eventual pursuit of engineering and technology education paths by students. Haden's work with her students and colleagues recommends methods that parents and other educators can use with young children in STEM learning situations to foster early understanding of the scientific method, develop knowledge of STEM-related concepts, and potentially increase interest in future science education and career options. The focus on narrative and storytelling is further reflected in a recent project that considers the ways that Latinx/e families engage in talk about science when reading books and reminiscing about past experiences. Dr. Haden's research is funded by grants from the National Science Foundation.
Courses Taught
PSYC 306 Research Methods
PSYC 318 Laboratory in Developmental Psychology
Publications/Research Listings
Researchgate: Catherine Haden
Google Scholar: Catherine Haden Google Scholar
(*Graduate student/Postdoc uUndergraduate student oOther trainee)
Haden, C. A. (in press). Families at the center of informal science and engineering learning: Caregiver-child conversations, co-designing with communities, and policy directions. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
Bühler-Wassmann, A. C., Acosta, D. I. *, Haden, C. A., Callanan, M. A., & Melzi, G. (in press). Latine caregivers’ storytelling with their preschoolers about science, nature, and identity. Mind, Culture and Activity: An International Journal.
Bühler-Wassmann, A. C., Villanueva, A. o, Acosta, D. I. *, Callanan, M. A., Melzi, G., & Haden, C. A. (in press). Narrating science, shaping selves: Oral stories Latine caregivers share with their preschoolers as pathways to science learning and identity. Applied Cognitive Psychology.
Pagano, L. C.*, George, R. E.*, Uttal, D. H., & Haden, C. A. (in press). “We did this another time”: Caregiver-child reflections about repeat visits to a museum tinkering exhibit. Visitor Studies.
Bühler-Wassmann, A.C., Zhang, V., Buhler, A., Callanan, M.A, Haden, C.A., & Melzi, G. (2026). Early STEM learning in Latine family contexts. Frontiers in Developmental Psychology, 4, https://doi.org/10.3389/fdpys.2026.1656327
Aldrich, B. M.* & Haden, C. A. (2024). Associations between parents' autonomy supportive management language and children's STEM talk during and after tinkering at home. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 247, 106034. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2024.106034
Pagano, L. C. *, George, R. E.u, Uttal, D. H., & Haden, C. A. (2024). You gotta tell the camera: Advancing children’s engineering learning through tinkering and digital storytelling. Child Development, 95(5), 1558-1571. http://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.14094
Acosta, D. I. * & Haden, C. A. (2023). Supporting Latine children’s informal engineering learning through tinkering and oral storytelling. Developmental Psychology, 59 (12), 2342-2355. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001648
Polinsky, N. o, Pagano, L. C. *, Acosta, D. I. *, Haden, C. A., & Uttal, D. H. (2023). Spatial language use in parent-child reflections about museum experiences. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 86, 101539. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2023.101539
Marcus, M. *, Solis, G. *, Sellars, S. o, & Haden, C. A. (2023). Promoting children’s STEM learning at home through tinkering and storytelling. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1146063. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1146063
Haden, C. A., Melzi, G., & Callanan, M. A. (2023). Science in stories: Implications for Latine children’s science learning through home-based language practices. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1096833. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1096833
Bae, J. o, Shavlik, M. o, Shatrowsky, C. E. o, Haden, C. A., & Booth, A. E. (2023). Predicting grade school scientific literacy from aspects of the early home science environment. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1113196. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1113196