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)

81 - 100 of 191 works

2016

Book Chapter

Die Natur und Erstehung der Kluft zwischen Mensch und Tier

Suddendorf, Thomas (2016). Die Natur und Erstehung der Kluft zwischen Mensch und Tier. Der Mensch, ein Tier? Das Tier, ein Mensch?. (pp. 55-61) edited by Johannes Weinzirl and Peter Heusser. Wuerzburg, Germany: Verlag Konigshausen & Neumann.

Die Natur und Erstehung der Kluft zwischen Mensch und Tier

2016

Book Chapter

Shaping one's future self: the development of deliberate practice

Suddendorf, Thomas, Brinums, Melissa and Imuta, Kana (2016). Shaping one's future self: the development of deliberate practice. Seeing the future: theoretical perspectives on future-oriented mental time travel. (pp. 343-366) edited by Kourken Michaelian, Stanley B. Klein and Karl K. Szpunar. New York, United States: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190241537.003.0017

Shaping one's future self: the development of deliberate practice

2016

Journal Article

Dissociating memory traces and scenario construction in mental time travel

Cheng, Sen, Werning, Markus and Suddendorf, Thomas (2016). Dissociating memory traces and scenario construction in mental time travel. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 60, 82-89. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.11.011

Dissociating memory traces and scenario construction in mental time travel

2016

Journal Article

Acting with the future in mind is impaired in long-term opiate users

Terrett, Gill, Lyons, Amanda, Henry, Julie D., Ryrie, Clare, Suddendorf, Thomas and Rendell, Peter G. (2016). Acting with the future in mind is impaired in long-term opiate users. Psychopharmacology, 234 (1), 1-10. doi: 10.1007/s00213-016-4442-3

Acting with the future in mind is impaired in long-term opiate users

2015

Journal Article

Understanding deliberate practice in preschool-aged children

Davis, Jac T. M., Cullen, Elizabeth and Suddendorf, Thomas (2015). Understanding deliberate practice in preschool-aged children. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 69 (2), 361-380. doi: 10.1080/17470218.2015.1082140

Understanding deliberate practice in preschool-aged children

2015

Journal Article

Episodic foresight and schizophrenia

Lyons, Amanda D., Henry, Julie D., Rendell, Peter G., Robinson, Gail and Suddendorf, Thomas (2015). Episodic foresight and schizophrenia. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 55 (2), 107-122. doi: 10.1111/bjc.12092

Episodic foresight and schizophrenia

2015

Journal Article

Episodic foresight and anxiety: Proximate and ultimate perspectives

Miloyan, Beyon, Bulley, Adam and Suddendorf , Thomas (2015). Episodic foresight and anxiety: Proximate and ultimate perspectives. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 55 (1), 4-22. doi: 10.1111/bjc.12080

Episodic foresight and anxiety: Proximate and ultimate perspectives

2015

Journal Article

Q & A: Thomas Suddendorf

Suddendorf, Thomas (2015). Q & A: Thomas Suddendorf. Current Biology, 25 (2), R56-R57. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.10.058

Q & A: Thomas Suddendorf

2015

Journal Article

Feelings of the future

Miloyan, Beyon and Suddendorf, Thomas (2015). Feelings of the future. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 19 (4), 196-200. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2015.01.008

Feelings of the future

2015

Journal Article

Building blocks of human design thinking in animals

Dong, Andy, Collier-Baker, Emma and Suddendorf, Thomas (2015). Building blocks of human design thinking in animals. International Journal of Design Creativity and Innovation, 5 (1-2), 1-15. doi: 10.1080/21650349.2015.1011700

Building blocks of human design thinking in animals

2014

Journal Article

Episodic foresight and aging

Lyons, Amanda D., Henry, Julie D., Rendell, Peter G., Corballis, Michael C. and Suddendorf, Thomas (2014). Episodic foresight and aging. Psychology and Aging, 29 (4), 873-884. doi: 10.1037/a0038130

Episodic foresight and aging

2014

Book Chapter

Uniquely human

Suddendorf, Thomas (2014). Uniquely human. The Best Australian Science Writing. (pp. 180-187) edited by Ashley Hay. Sydney, NSW, Australia: NewSouth.

Uniquely human

2014

Journal Article

Reducing the neural search space for hominid cognition: what distinguishes human and great ape brains from those of small apes?

Butler, David and Suddendorf, Thomas (2014). Reducing the neural search space for hominid cognition: what distinguishes human and great ape brains from those of small apes?. Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, 21 (3), 590-619. doi: 10.3758/s13423-013-0559-0

Reducing the neural search space for hominid cognition: what distinguishes human and great ape brains from those of small apes?

2014

Other Outputs

What separates us from animals

Suddendorf, Thomas (2014, 03 03). What separates us from animals Slate

What separates us from animals

2014

Other Outputs

What makes us human?

Suddendorf, Thomas (2014, 02 08). What makes us human? The Huffington Post

What makes us human?

2014

Journal Article

Response to Gallup et al.: are rich interpretations of visual self-recognition a bit too rich?

Suddendorf, Thomas and Butler, David L. (2014). Response to Gallup et al.: are rich interpretations of visual self-recognition a bit too rich?. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 18 (2), 58-59. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2013.11.004

Response to Gallup et al.: are rich interpretations of visual self-recognition a bit too rich?

2014

Book

Der Unterschied: Was den Mensch zum Menschen macht

Suddendorf, Thomas, Steckhan, Barbara, Jendricke, Bernhard and Gockle, Gabriele (2014). Der Unterschied: Was den Mensch zum Menschen macht. Berlin, Germany: Berlin Verlag.

Der Unterschied: Was den Mensch zum Menschen macht

2014

Journal Article

The future is here: a review of foresight systems in anxiety and depression

Miloyan, Beyon, Pachana, Nancy A. and Suddendorf, Thomas (2014). The future is here: a review of foresight systems in anxiety and depression. Cognition and Emotion, 28 (5), 795-810. doi: 10.1080/02699931.2013.863179

The future is here: a review of foresight systems in anxiety and depression

2013

Journal Article

Proximate and ultimate perspectives on memory

Suddendorf, Thomas and Henry, Julie (2013). Proximate and ultimate perspectives on memory. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 2 (4), 246-247. doi: 10.1016/j.jarmac.2013.10.005

Proximate and ultimate perspectives on memory

2013

Other Outputs

Are we really different from other animals?

Suddendorf, Thomas (2013, 11 21). Are we really different from other animals? CNN online

Are we really different from other animals?

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

Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.

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

Need help?

For help with finding experts, story ideas and media enquiries, contact our Media team:

communications@uq.edu.au