AARTI B
- Research Program Mentor
PhD candidate at Boston University
Expertise
developmental psychology, cognitive development, STEM education
Bio
I’m a PhD candidate in Psychology at Boston University, fascinated by how children make sense of the world around them. My research explores how the explanations children hear—from parents, teachers, media, and peers—shape their emerging theories about how things work, and how children and adults think about what it means to engage with science. I’m especially interested in how learning is shaped by who we are (e.g., our cultural background, age, and gender identity), how we think (such as attention and other cognitive skills), and where learning happens (including features of the social and physical environment). I developed these interests through close mentorship that helped me turn curiosity into research questions—and I’m excited to offer that same kind of guidance to students. I love helping students identify the topics they genuinely care about and equipping them with the tools to investigate those questions with confidence. Whether inside or outside the research lab, I thrive on learning from others’ perspectives. I enjoy exploring the Boston area, traveling, discovering new restaurants and cozy cafés, and getting creative through crafting.Project ideas
Science Blog
One of the most important skills a student can develop is the ability to read scientific research and think about it critically. In this project, students will closely examine a scientific journal article describing an experimental study and learn how to evaluate its key components. Together, we will then practice translating the article’s findings into clear, accessible language by writing a short blog post aimed at a general audience. An example topic could be "How Pretend Play Builds Real Thinking Skills"! Through this project, students will learn how to: - Use the QALMRI method to systematically unpack a scientific journal article - Critically evaluate a study’s methods, results, and limitations - Translate technical scientific writing into engaging, everyday language
Writing a research proposal
Strong research ideas often emerge at the intersection of personal curiosity and gaps in the existing literature. In this project, students will begin by identifying a research topic they are genuinely interested in. For example, how social media affects teenagers, especially whether using social media before bed changes how teens feel about themselves or interact with others. Then they will conduct a targeted literature review. Together, we will then pinpoint open questions or limitations in prior work and develop a novel, testable research question. The project will culminate in writing a scientific-style research proposal. Through this project, students will learn how to: - Conduct an effective literature review - Read scientific articles and identify gaps and limitations in existing research - Write clearly and persuasively for a research audience - Articulate why their research questions matter and demonstrate the significance of their proposed study
Data from everyday life
There is a common misconception that data exists only in numerical form. In reality, data can be quantitative or qualitative, can describe many aspects of everyday life, and can be used to uncover meaning both in research and in our personal experiences. In this project, students will choose an aspect of their own lives that they are curious about and systematically track a form of data related to it. Together, we will transform this data into a meaningful visualization and interpretation, exploring what was tracked, what patterns emerged, and why those patterns matter to the student. This project emphasizes creativity, reflection, and the power of data as a tool for understanding the world. To get inspired, I recommend seeing this TED Talk and the Dear Data project: TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFIDCtRX_-o Dear Data: https://www.dear-data.com/theproject