Research Areas
- Perception and cognition
- Cognitive development
- Human behavior in fire
- Safety science
- Disparities in fire casualties
Scientific Achievements
- Trained undergraduate students in human behavior in fire research.
- Developed a procedure for running online child development research at Morgan State University.
- Provided initial evidence that children can perceive differences in fire intensity using visual cues and that this may be related to socioeconomic status.
Funding
RCMI Funding: 5U54MD013376
Other funding obtained with RCMI support: NSF 2200416
Other funding obtained with RCMI support: NSF 2200416
Scientific Advance
Seeing Flames, Perceiving Quantity: Approximations of Fire Intensity Across Development
Under revision, Behavioral Sciences
Under revision, Behavioral Sciences
Children between ages 3 and 6 become better at visually estimating quantities like number and area. This study examined whether they also improve at judging fire intensity, a dynamic and ecologically relevant visual cue. Over 70 children compared simulated fires in train engines, with varying intensity ratios. Results indicated that older children were more accurate, especially when differences were larger. These findings suggest that children's ability to estimate visual magnitudes, including fire intensity, becomes more precise with age.
National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health Award Number U54MD013376
