Professor Mark Nielsen
Professor

Mark Nielsen

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 336 56414

Background

Mark joined the School of Psychology in 2002 as a UQ Postdoctoral Research Fellow after completing his PhD at La Trobe University. His research interests lie in a range of inter-related aspects of socio-cognitive development in young human children and non-human primates. His current research is primarily focused on charting the origins and development of human cultural cognition.

He is:

  • a Senior Research Associate, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
  • a member of: Association for Psychological Science; Society for Research in Child Development; Australasian Human Development Association
  • an Associate Editor: Journal of Experimental Child Psychology; PLoS ONE
  • an Editorial Consultant: Child Development; Developmental Science

Availability

Professor Mark Nielsen is:
Available for supervision

Fields of research

Cognitive and computational psychology Psychology

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Science, Flinders University
  • Postgraduate Diploma, La Trobe University

Research impacts

Mark has forged an international reputation for cutting-edge research on multiple aspects of developmental social cognition. Based on the quality of his research, he was presented with an Early Career Researcher Award from the International Society on Infant Studies (2006), a Research Excellence Award from the (then) Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (2009), and in 2016 was made a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science. He has published over 100 papers, had his research feature in over 80 conference presentations and over 15 invited conference and colloquia talks.

Search Professor Mark Nielsen’s works on UQ eSpace

134 works between 1999 and 2025
All (134) Journal Article (116) Book Chapter (9) Conference Publication (8) Other Outputs (1)

121 - 134 of 134 works

2006

Book Chapter

Imitation and self-recogntion in autism: In search of an explanation

Nielsen, M. G., Suddendorf, T. and Dissanayake, C. (2006). Imitation and self-recogntion in autism: In search of an explanation. Imitation and the Social Mind: Autism and Typical Development. (pp. 138-197) edited by S.J. Rogers and J.H.G. Williams. New York, NY United States: The Guilford Press.

Imitation and self-recogntion in autism: In search of an explanation

2006

Journal Article

Copying actions and copying outcomes: Social learning through the second year

Nielsen, M (2006). Copying actions and copying outcomes: Social learning through the second year. Developmental Psychology, 42 (3), 555-565. doi: 10.1037/0012-1649.42.3.555

Copying actions and copying outcomes: Social learning through the second year

2006

Journal Article

Mirror self-recognition beyond the face

Nielsen, Mark, Suddendorf, Thomas and Slaughter, Virginia (2006). Mirror self-recognition beyond the face. Child Development, 77 (1), 176-185. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2006.00863.x

Mirror self-recognition beyond the face

2005

Journal Article

Imitation recognition in a captive chimpanzee (pan troglodytes)

Nielsen, M. G., Collier-Baker, E., Davis, J. M. and Suddendorf, T. (2005). Imitation recognition in a captive chimpanzee (pan troglodytes). Animal Cognition, 8 (1), 31-36. doi: 10.1007/s10071-004-0232-0

Imitation recognition in a captive chimpanzee (pan troglodytes)

2004

Conference Publication

Do chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) understand invisible displacement?

Collier-Baker, E, Davis, JM, Suddendorf, T and Nielsen, M (2004). Do chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) understand invisible displacement?. BASEL: KARGER.

Do chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) understand invisible displacement?

2004

Journal Article

Pretend play, mirror self-recognition and imitation: A longitudinal investigation through the second year

Nielsen, Mark and Dissanayake, Cheryl (2004). Pretend play, mirror self-recognition and imitation: A longitudinal investigation through the second year. Infant Behavior & Development, 27 (3), 342-365. doi: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2003.12.006

Pretend play, mirror self-recognition and imitation: A longitudinal investigation through the second year

2003

Journal Article

A longitudinal study of immediate, deferred, and synchronic imitation through the second year

Nielsen, M. G. and Dissanayake, C. A. (2003). A longitudinal study of immediate, deferred, and synchronic imitation through the second year. AISBJ, 1 (4), 305-318.

A longitudinal study of immediate, deferred, and synchronic imitation through the second year

2003

Conference Publication

Synchronic imitation as pre-linguistic social interaction

Nielsen, M. G. and Dissanayake, C. A. (2003). Synchronic imitation as pre-linguistic social interaction. AISB '03 Cognition in Machines & Animals, Aberystwyth, Wales, 7-11 April 2003. Aberystwyth, United Kingdom: The Society for the Study of Artificial Intelligence.

Synchronic imitation as pre-linguistic social interaction

2003

Journal Article

A longitudinal investigation of self-other discrimination and the emergence of mirror self-recognition

Nielsen, M., Dissanayake, C. and Kashima, Y. (2003). A longitudinal investigation of self-other discrimination and the emergence of mirror self-recognition. Infant Behavior & Development, 26 (2), 213-226. doi: 10.1016/S0163-6383(03)00018-3

A longitudinal investigation of self-other discrimination and the emergence of mirror self-recognition

2002

Conference Publication

Deferred imitation and the onset of pretend play in the second year

Nielsen, M. G. and Dissanayake, C.A. (2002). Deferred imitation and the onset of pretend play in the second year. Perspectives on Imitation: From Cognitive Neuroscience to Social Science, Paris, France, May 2002.

Deferred imitation and the onset of pretend play in the second year

2002

Journal Article

Pretending Primates

Nielsen, M (2002). Pretending Primates. Trends In Cognitive Sciences, 6 (10), 445-445. doi: 10.1016/S1364-6613(02)01983-6

Pretending Primates

2002

Other Outputs

A longitudinal investigation of imitation, pretend play and mirror self-recognition in human infants

Nielsen, Mark G. (2002). A longitudinal investigation of imitation, pretend play and mirror self-recognition in human infants. PhD Thesis, School of Psychological Science, Latrobe University.

A longitudinal investigation of imitation, pretend play and mirror self-recognition in human infants

2000

Journal Article

An investigation of pretend play, mental state terms and false belief understanding: In search of a metarepresentational link

Nielsen, M and Dissanayake, C (2000). An investigation of pretend play, mental state terms and false belief understanding: In search of a metarepresentational link. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 18 (4), 609-624. doi: 10.1348/026151000165887

An investigation of pretend play, mental state terms and false belief understanding: In search of a metarepresentational link

1999

Journal Article

William James and the evolution of consciousness

Nielsen, Mark and Day, R. H. (1999). William James and the evolution of consciousness. Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology, 19 (1), 90-113. doi: 10.1037/h0091189

William James and the evolution of consciousness

Current funding

  • 2023 - 2025
    The Development and Diversity of Religious Cognition and Behaviour ((John Templeton Foundation) administered by The University of California Riverside)
    University of California, Riverside
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2021 - 2024
    Imitation learning in infancy
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2024
    To imitate or innovate: A new look at children's social learning strategies
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2023
    The Consequences of Formal Education for Science and Religion (The Issachar Fund subaward administered by The University of Texas at Austin)
    University of Texas at Austin - Grants
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2017
    The developmental origins of tool innovation
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2013
    A brain stimulation and portable eye-tracking suite for human behavioural research
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2013
    Over-imitation, trial-and-error learning and the inter-generational transmission of information
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2011
    UQ Travel Awards Category 2 - Dr Mark Gregory Nielsen
    UQ Travel Grants Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2009 - 2013
    Charting the prevalence, time course and social-cognitive correlates of neonatal imitation.
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2009
    UQ Travel Awards Category 2, Dr Mark Nielsen
    UQ Travel Grants Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2008
    Synchronic imitation in children with ASD: imitation and the social deficit hypothesis.
    APEX Foundation for Autism
    Open grant
  • 2007
    Imitation and Pretence in Human Children and Nonhuman Primates: Exploring the Origins of Cultural Cognition
    UQ Travel Grants Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2007 - 2009
    Thinking about the future: The nature and development of mental time travel
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2005 - 2006
    Actions, outcomes, agency and imitation. Why toddlers copy what others do.
    UQ New Staff Research Start-Up Fund
    Open grant
  • 2003
    An Investigation of Social Learning in Human Infants
    UQ Early Career Researcher
    Open grant

Availability

Professor Mark Nielsen is:
Available for supervision

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Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Testing an Evolutionary Account of Inequity Aversion from Behind the Veil of Ignorance

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Lionel Page

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Testing an Evolutionary Account of Inequity Aversion from Behind the Veil of Ignorance

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Lionel Page

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Testing an Evolutionary Account of Inequity Aversion from Behind the Veil of Ignorance

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Lionel Page

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Foundations of cumulative culture: What drives children to innovate or imitate.

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Frankie Fong

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Testing an Evolutionary Account of Inequity Aversion from Behind the Veil of Ignorance

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Lionel Page

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Testing an Evolutionary Account of Inequity Aversion from Behind the Veil of Ignorance

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Lionel Page

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Testing an Evolutionary Account of Inequity Aversion from Behind the Veil of Ignorance

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Lionel Page

  • Doctor Philosophy

    To imitate or innovate: A new look at children's social learning

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Frankie Fong

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Testing an Evolutionary Account of Inequity Aversion from Behind the Veil of Ignorance

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Lionel Page

  • Doctor Philosophy

    How Indonesian Matrilineal and Patrilineal Culture Affect Gender Norms in Imitation

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Frankie Fong

  • Doctor Philosophy

    A Developemntal Perspective on the Foundations of Ritual and Trust

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Jonathan Redshaw

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Young children¿s costly social learning: ritual vs. instrumental actions

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Frankie Fong

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Imitation and childrens social vs material priorities

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Frankie Fong

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Imitation and childrens social vs material priorities

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Frankie Fong

Completed supervision

Enquiries

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