Ansley Tullos Gilpin Associate Professor

Research Areas:

• fantasy orientation and pretend play
• executive functions
• school readiness
• children's use of testimony (information from other people) to learn about the world
• imaginary companions (mean and nice)
• children's understanding of fantasy/reality
• development of religiousity
• pretend play's role in early childhood intervention (ASD)

Research Interests

• Imaginative Play - Fantasy Orientation and Pretend Play (children's tendency to engage in fantastical vs. realistic play) - Funded by Grant #RFP-15-08 from the Imagination Institute
• Executive Functions (inhibition, working memory, attentional shift, etc.)
• School Readiness (Head Start, preschool curriculum, behavioral and socio-emotional predictors of academic success) - Funded by Grant #90YR0075 from the Administration for Children and Families (DHHS)
• Children's use of Testimony (information from other people) to learn about the world
• Imaginary Companions (mean and nice)
• Children's understanding of fantasy/reality, including belief in fantastical entities such as Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy.  
• Development of religiosity
• Pretend play's role in early childhood intervention (ASD)