Research

My research focuses on the development of social understanding, self-consciousness, and communicative abilities from infancy to childhood.
In my master thesis I examined the relationship between children's level of theory of mind and the persuasive abilities that they can use. In my doctoral dissertation I conducted a longitudinal study in which I examined the development of social understanding from infancy to childhood.

During the last 3 years I have been intensively active in the study of the development of social-understanding and self-consciousness from infancy to childhood, and which role they play in the development of anxiety.  You can visit the website about our project "De Sociale Ontwikkeling van Baby tot Kleuter":

De social ontwikkeling van baby tot kleuter

• www.sociale-ontwikkeling.nl

Teaching

I am currently coordinating the bachelor course "Developmental and Parenting Problems" [Ontwikkelings- en opvoedingsproblemen] and the master course " Severe parenting problems and intervention". I am also supervising bachelor- and masters-theses on the development of social understanding and self-consciousness.

Research topics

Tekst van de nieuwe paragraaf

International publications

Colonnesi, C., Stams, G. J. J. M., Van der Bruggen, C. O., Draijer, E. M., Bögels, S. M., & Noom, M. J. (2011). The relation between attachment and child anxiety: a meta-analytic review. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology , in press.

Colonnesi, C., Stams, G. J. J. M., Koster, I. , & Noom, M. J. (2010). The relationship between pointing gesture and language: A meta-analysis. Developmental Review , in press. 

De Vente, W., Majdandziç, M., C. Colonnesi, & Bögels, S. M. (2011). Intergenerational transmission of Social Anxiety: the Role of paternal and maternal fear of negative Child Evaluation and Parenting Behaviour . Accepted.

Colonnesi, C., Engelhard, I. M., & Bögels, S. M. (2009). Development of embarrassmentin children andrelation with theory of mind. Cognition & Emotion , Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/02699930902847151.

Colonnesi, C., Rieffe, C., Koops, W., & Perucchini, P.(2008). The pointing gesture and the intention understanding as precursors to a theory of mind. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 26 , 561-577.

Colonnesi, C., Koops, A. P., &, Meerum Terwogt, M. (2008). Young children's psychological explanations and their relationship to perception and intention understanding. Infant and Child Development, 17 , 163-179.

Bellagamba, F., Camaioni L., & Colonnesi, C. (2006). Change in Children's Understanding of Other's Intentional Actions. Developmental Science Review , 9 , 182-188.

Colonnesi, C. (2005). PhD dissertation: The emergence of a theory of mind from infancy to childhood: related abilities at 12, 15 and 39 months of age, OECD.

Camaioni L., Perucchini, P., Bellagamba, F., & Colonnesi, C. (2004). The role of declarative pointing in developing a theory of mind. Infancy , 5 , 291-308.

Colonnesi, C., Dunn, J., & Koops, W. (2004). Luigia Camaioni. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 1 , 201-204.

National publications

Colonnesi, C. (2008). L'uso della cortesia e della persuasione nella comunicazione in età prescolare e scolare e il ruolo del la teoria della mente [The communicative use of politeness and persuasion during the preschool age and the role of theory of mind]. In A. S. Barbieri e S. Di Sano (a cura di) Lo sviluppo di competenze pragmatiche, problemi e metodi. Napoli : Liguori Editore.

Bellagamba, F., & Colonnesi, C. (2005). Evoluzione della comprensione delle altrui intenzioni nel secondo anno di vita [Development of the understanding of other's intentions in the second year of life]. Giornale Italiano di Psicologia, XXXII, 4 , 781-797.

Perucchini P., Bonaiuto M., Colonnesi C., & Gnisci, A. (2003). Lacapacità persuasiva e la comprensionedella mente in età prescolare [The persuasive ability and the understanding of mentalstates during childhood]. Giornale Italiano di Psicologia, 4 , 803-824.

International presentations

Colonnesi, C., & Bögels, S. M. (2010). Coy Smile of 4-Month-Old Infants with Familiar and Novel Persons in Front of a Mirror. Poster presented at the ICIS 2010 Biennial Meeting, Baltimore, March 2010.

Colonnesi, C., Koster, I., Stams, G.J.J.M., & Noom, M.J. Pointing Gesture and Language Development: A Meta-Analysis. Poster presented at the ICIS 2010 Biennial Meeting, Baltimore, March 2010.

Colonnesi, C., Majdandziç, M., de Vente, W., & Bögels, S. M. Early Coy Smile to Mum, to Dad, and a Stranger. Infants' Self-conscious Affection with a Familiar and a Non-familiar Adult in Front of a Mirror. Paper presented at the 20th Biennial ISSBD Meeting in Wurzburg, Germany, 2008.

Colonnesi, C. "Early coy smile to mum, dad, and a stranger". Seminar by the Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, United Kingdom, 4th October, 2007.

Colonnesi, C., Rieffe, C., Koops, W., & Perucchini, P., "Pointing gesture and intention understanding as precursors of a theory of mind" 37th Annual Meeting of The Jean Piaget Society, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, May-June 2007.

Colonnesi, C. "Il gesto di indicare e la comprensione delle intenzioni altrui nel secondo anno di vita come precursori della teoria della mente: uno studio longitudinale". Seminar by the University of Chieti, Department of Psychology, Italy, 5th May, 2006.

Colonnesi, C., Koops, W., & Meerum Terwogt, M. "The role of perception and intention understanding in children's ability to explain actions in terms of mental states". XII European Conference on Developmental Psychology, Tenerife, August 2005.

Colonnesi C., & Bellagamba F., "Declarative pointing and intention understanding: the role in the origin of theory of mind". Paper presented at the Symposium dedicated to the memory of Luigia Camaioni at the 18th Biennial meeting ISSBD, Ghent, July 2004.

Camaioni L., Bellagamba F., & Colonnesi C., "Change in children's understanding of other's intentional actions". Poster presented at the 10th European Conference on Developmental Psychology, Milan, August 2003.

Camaioni L., Perucchini P., Bellagamba F., & Colonnesi C., Understanding the declarative pointing in the development of child theory of mind. Paper presented at the 17th Biennial Meeting ISSBD, Ottawa, August 2002.

Curriculum vitae

Personal Details
 
Date of birth: 03/04/1974   
Nationality: Italian
Place of birth: Rome, Italy   

Main education
 
Master's: University/College of Higher Education: University of Rome "La Sapienza", Italy, 20/11/1999, cum laude.

Doctorate: University/College of Higher Education: University of Rome "La Sapienza", Italy, 01/12/2005.

Current and Previous Academic Appointments
 
2007 - present: Postdoc: Department of Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

2006: Scientist/lecturer, Department of Psychology, University of Leiden, Leiden, The Netherland
   
2003-2005: Phd-study, Department of Psychology, University of Rome 'La Sapienza', Rome, Italy

Doctoral Dissertation
 
Title: The Emergence of a Theory of Mind from Infancy to Childhood
Supervisors: Luigia Camaioni (first supervisor; University of Rome 'La Sapienza', Italy), Anna Maria Ercolani (first supervisor, University of Rome 'La Sapienza, Italy), Willem Koops (second supervisor, University of Utrecht, The Netherland), Bram Orobio de Castro (University of Utrecht), Mark Meerum Terwogt (Free University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands).
Public Defense: December 12, 2005

Research 

2007- present: Participation in the research project The role of the father in the development of social anxiety (NWO, VIDI-program 2005), coordinated by Prof. Susan Bögels, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
2003: Research period at the Department of Developmental Psychology of the University of Utrecht, The Netherlands, on my PhD study Emergence of Theory of Mind and the relation with pointing gesture and intention understanding, under the supervision of Prof. Willem Koops and Dr. Bram Orobio De Castro.
2000-2002: Participation in the National research project Theory of mind and its precursors in typical and atypical development, founded by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research at the University of Rome "La Sapienza", coordinated by Prof. Luigia Camaioni, University of Rome, Italy.
1999-2001: Participation in the research project Communicative Ability in Preschoolers, coordinated by Prof. Paola Perucchini, University "Roma Tre", Italy.

Teaching 
 
2007- present: Coordinator of the Bachelor course "Developmental and Parenting Problems" [Ontwikkelings- en opvoedingsproblemen] and of the Masters course "Severe parenting problems and intervention" [Ernstige opvoedingsproblemen en hulpverlening]. Supervisor of Bachelor- and Masters-theses on the development of social cognition, understanding and self-consciousness. Supervisor of research stages undertakenby the baby lab of theDep. of Education. University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
2006: Teacher at the Department of Developmental Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands. Supervision of workgroups of the course Social and Emotional Development. Supervision of Bachelor projects on children's coping with negative emotions. Supervision of doctoral theses about coping strategies in autistic and typical children. 
2002-2004: Teaching assistant for the course Observation Techniques of Behaviour, by Prof. Luigia Camaioni at the Faculty of Psychology at the University or Rome "La Sapienza", Italy.
2002-2004: Teaching assistant for the basic course Developmental Psychology by Prof. Luigia Camaioni at the Faculty of Psychology at the University or Rome "La Sapienza".
2002-2003: Teaching a laboratory evaluation of psychomotoric development, at the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Rome "La Sapienza", Italy. University course on the psychomotoric development and the use of the Uzgiris-Hunt scales.

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