Professor Thomas Suddendorf
Professor

Thomas Suddendorf

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 336 58341

Background

Thomas grew up in Germany and joined UQ in 1999 following postgraduate studies in New Zealand. He investigates the mental capacities in young children and in animals to answer fundamental questions about the nature and evolution of the human mind. His research has attracted several awards (incl. from the Australian Academy of Social Sciences, the Australian Psychological Society and the American Psychological Association) and his critically acclaimed book The Gap (e.g. see reviews in Nature, Science or the Wall Street Journal) is currently being translated into several languages.

Availability

Professor Thomas Suddendorf is:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Fields of research

Cognitive and computational psychology Psychology

Qualifications

  • Masters (Coursework), University of Waikato
  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Auckland

Research impacts

In the news

BBC Radio 4 - All in the Mind, Time travelling in the human mind

BBC Future about the intelligence gap

Reddit Ask Me Anything 2016

Zeitzeichen Article in German

Global Leadership Series Presentation

BBC Earth Many animals seem to kill themselves, but is it suicide?

Coverage of 2016 Current Biology paper on neonatal imitation covered by media such as Science Daily, NPR, ABC online, The Daily Mail, & The Conversation

Q & A with Thomas Suddendorf in Current Biology 2015

Radio and TV Featured frequently in media in the US, UK, Germany, and Australia, incl. radio (e.g., RN's Ockham's razor), TV (e.g., ABC what makes us human) and internet (e.g. TEDx talk)

Book reviews of THE GAP have appeared in e.g. Nature, The Wall Street Journal, Science, Scientific American Mind, The Times, Kirkus Reviews, Journal of the History of Biology, Australian Book Review, Times Higher Education & New Scientist.

Extracts: CNN, The Chronicles of Higher Education, HuffPo , Psychology Today, and Slate

Search Professor Thomas Suddendorf’s works on UQ eSpace

191 works between 1994 and 2025
All (191) Journal Article (144) Book Chapter (20) Conference Publication (11) Book (4) Other Outputs (12)

41 - 60 of 191 works

2020

Journal Article

Temporal junctures in the mind

Redshaw, Jonathan and Suddendorf, Thomas (2020). Temporal junctures in the mind. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 24 (1), 52-64. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2019.10.009

Temporal junctures in the mind

2019

Journal Article

Episodic memory in nonhuman animals?

Crystal, Jonathon D. and Suddendorf, Thomas (2019). Episodic memory in nonhuman animals?. Current Biology, 29 (24), R1291-R1295. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.10.045

Episodic memory in nonhuman animals?

2019

Journal Article

Thinking about thinking about time

Redshaw, Jonathan, Bulley, Adam and Suddendorf, Thomas (2019). Thinking about thinking about time. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 42 e273, 46-47. doi: 10.1017/s0140525x19000414

Thinking about thinking about time

2019

Journal Article

A taxonomy of mental time travel and counterfactual thought: Insights from cognitive development

Gautam, Shalini, Suddendorf, Thomas, Henry, Julie D. and Redshaw, Jonathan (2019). A taxonomy of mental time travel and counterfactual thought: Insights from cognitive development. Behavioural Brain Research, 374 112108, 112108. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112108

A taxonomy of mental time travel and counterfactual thought: Insights from cognitive development

2019

Journal Article

Individual differences in neonatal 'imitation' fail to predict early social cognitive behaviour

Redshaw, Jonathan, Nielsen, Mark, Slaughter, Virginia, Kennedy-Costantini, Siobhan, Oostenbroek, Janine, Crimston, Jessica and Suddendorf, Thomas (2019). Individual differences in neonatal 'imitation' fail to predict early social cognitive behaviour. Developmental Science, 23 (2) e12892, e12892. doi: 10.1111/desc.12892

Individual differences in neonatal 'imitation' fail to predict early social cognitive behaviour

2019

Journal Article

What is cognition?

Bayne, Tim, Brainard, David, Byrne, Richard W., Chittka, Lars, Clayton, Nicky, Heyes, Cecilia, Mather, Jennifer, Ölveczky, Bence, Shadlen, Michael, Suddendorf, Thomas and Webb, Barbara (2019). What is cognition?. Current Biology, 29 (13), R608-R615. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.05.044

What is cognition?

2019

Journal Article

Confidence as a diagnostic tool for perceptual aftereffects

Gallagher, Regan M., Suddendorf, Thomas and Arnold, Derek H. (2019). Confidence as a diagnostic tool for perceptual aftereffects. Scientific Reports, 9 (1) 7124, 7124. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-43170-1

Confidence as a diagnostic tool for perceptual aftereffects

2019

Journal Article

Measuring mental time travel: Is the hippocampus really critical for episodic memory and episodic foresight?

Miloyan, Beyon, McFarlane, Kimberley A. and Suddendorf, Thomas (2019). Measuring mental time travel: Is the hippocampus really critical for episodic memory and episodic foresight?. Cortex, 117, 371-384. doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2019.01.020

Measuring mental time travel: Is the hippocampus really critical for episodic memory and episodic foresight?

2019

Journal Article

Cuing both positive and negative episodic foresight reduces delay discounting but does not affect risk-taking

Bulley, Adam, Miloyan, Beyon, Pepper, Gillian V., Gullo, Matthew J., Henry, Julie D. and Suddendorf, Thomas (2019). Cuing both positive and negative episodic foresight reduces delay discounting but does not affect risk-taking. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 72 (8), 1747021818819777-2017. doi: 10.1177/1747021818819777

Cuing both positive and negative episodic foresight reduces delay discounting but does not affect risk-taking

2019

Book Chapter

Die Entwicklung des Unterschieds. Was den Mensch zum besonderen Tier macht

Suddendorf, Thomas (2019). Die Entwicklung des Unterschieds. Was den Mensch zum besonderen Tier macht. Entwicklung als kinder- und jugendmedizinische Besonderheit. (pp. 10-12) edited by Klaus Rodens. Koeln, Germany: Berufverband der Kinder- und Jugendarzte.

Die Entwicklung des Unterschieds. Was den Mensch zum besonderen Tier macht

2019

Journal Article

Episodic foresight and stroke

Lyons, Amanda D., Henry, Julie D., Robinson, Gail, Rendell, Peter G. and Suddendorf, Thomas (2019). Episodic foresight and stroke. Neuropsychology, 33 (1), 93-102. doi: 10.1037/neu0000495

Episodic foresight and stroke

2019

Journal Article

Anxiety: here and beyond

Miloyan, Beyon, Bulley, Adam and Suddendorf, Thomas (2019). Anxiety: here and beyond. Emotion Review, 11 (1), 39-49. doi: 10.1177/1754073917738570

Anxiety: here and beyond

2018

Journal Article

Did humans evolve to innovate with a social rather than technical orientation?

von Hippel, William and Suddendorf, Thomas (2018). Did humans evolve to innovate with a social rather than technical orientation?. New Ideas in Psychology, 51, 34-39. doi: 10.1016/j.newideapsych.2018.06.002

Did humans evolve to innovate with a social rather than technical orientation?

2018

Journal Article

Practicing for the future: deliberate practice in early childhood

Brinums, Melissa, Imuta, Kana and Suddendorf, Thomas (2018). Practicing for the future: deliberate practice in early childhood. Child Development, 89 (6), 2051-2058. doi: 10.1111/cdev.12938

Practicing for the future: deliberate practice in early childhood

2018

Journal Article

Young children's capacity to imagine and prepare for certain and uncertain future outcomes

Redshaw, Jonathan, Leamy, Talia, Pincus, Phoebe and Suddendorf, Thomas (2018). Young children's capacity to imagine and prepare for certain and uncertain future outcomes. PLoS One, 13 (9) e0202606, e0202606. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0202606

Young children's capacity to imagine and prepare for certain and uncertain future outcomes

2018

Journal Article

Inside our heads: two key features created the human mind

Suddendorf, Thomas (2018). Inside our heads: two key features created the human mind. Scientific American, 319 (3), 42-47. doi: 10.1038/scientificamerican0918-42

Inside our heads: two key features created the human mind

2018

Journal Article

Re-evaluating the neonatal imitation hypothesis

Oostenbroek, Janine, Redshaw, Jonathan, Davis, Jacqueline, Kennedy-Costantini, Siobhan, Nielsen, Mark, Slaughter, Virginia and Suddendorf, Thomas (2018). Re-evaluating the neonatal imitation hypothesis. Developmental Science, 22 (2) e12720, e12720. doi: 10.1111/desc.12720

Re-evaluating the neonatal imitation hypothesis

2018

Journal Article

Clarifying animal planning capacities

Redshaw, J., Taylor, A. and Suddendorf, T. (2018). Clarifying animal planning capacities. Science

Clarifying animal planning capacities

2018

Journal Article

Young children from three diverse cultures spontaneously and consistently prepare for alternative future possibilities

Redshaw, Jonathan, Suddendorf, Thomas, Neldner, Karri, Wilks, Matti, Tomaselli, Keyan, Mushin, Ilana and Nielsen, Mark (2018). Young children from three diverse cultures spontaneously and consistently prepare for alternative future possibilities. Child Development, 90 (1), 51-61. doi: 10.1111/cdev.13084

Young children from three diverse cultures spontaneously and consistently prepare for alternative future possibilities

2018

Journal Article

Prospection and natural selection

Suddendorf, T., Bulley, A. and Miloyan, B. (2018). Prospection and natural selection. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 24, 26-31. doi: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2018.01.019

Prospection and natural selection

Current funding

  • 2025 - 2027
    Mapping children's foresight capacities
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2021 - 2024
    Gaining control of the future: The cognitive development of foresight
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2016
    Episodic foresight and ageing
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2012
    Enhancing Realism in Psychological Research.
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2009 - 2013
    Charting the prevalence, time course and social-cognitive correlates of neonatal imitation.
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2007 - 2009
    Thinking about the future: The nature and development of mental time travel
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2005 - 2007
    Evolution of Mind: The representational capacities of gibbons (H. syndactylus) and the common ancestor of humans and apes.
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2005
    NHMRC_Equipment Grant = Refurbishment and equipment for Early Cognitive Development Unit and Video equipment for cognitive testing of children, adolescents and adults
    NHMRC Equipment Grant
    Open grant
  • 2002 - 2004
    The nature of self-recognition: novel approaches to vexing questions
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 1999
    The development of concepts of self and time - investigations with digitized feedback
    UQ New Staff Research Start-Up Fund
    Open grant

Availability

Professor Thomas Suddendorf is:
Available for supervision

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Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Recognising the future utility of a solution: A foresight perspective on the development of innovation in children

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Jonathan Redshaw

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Innovation: When do children recognise future utility?

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Jonathan Redshaw

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Gaining control of the future: The Cognitive Development of Foresight

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Jonathan Redshaw

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Gaining control of the future: The Cognitive Development of Foresight

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Jonathan Redshaw

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Investigating the understanding of possibility and probability in young children and primates

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Jonathan Redshaw

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Investigating the understanding of probability and plausible deniability in young children and primates

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Jonathan Redshaw

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The Impact of Intergroup Violence on the Evolution of Human Psychology

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Brendan Zietsch

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Mechanisms and functions of reasoning about possibilities

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Julie Henry, Dr Jonathan Redshaw

Completed supervision

Enquiries

Contact Professor Thomas Suddendorf directly for media enquiries about:

  • Brain and cognition
  • Brain development
  • Brain evolution
  • Children and cognition
  • Cognition
  • Cognition - developmental perspectives
  • Development and cognition
  • Evolution and brain cognition
  • Human development and cognition
  • Psychology - cognition

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