Research Interests:

Current research in my laboratory investigates two-year-olds' knowledge and use of language, second language learners' performance on similar tasks, native speakers' performance on similar sentences with different tasks, the role of input in syntax acquisition, gender differences in mathematics problem-solving. We are also investigating what interventions work best in improving gender equity in different types of organizations.

Recent Publications:

On Linguistics

Valian, V., Prasada, S., & Scarpa, J. (2006). Direct object predictability: effects on young children’s imitation of sentences. Journal of Child Language, 33, 247-269.

Valian, V. (2006). Young children's understanding of present and past tense. Language Learning and Development, 2, 251-276.

Valian, V., & Aubry, S. (2005). When opportunity knocks twice: two-year-olds' repetition of sentence subjects. Journal of Child Language, 32, 617-641.

Valian, V. & Casey, L. (2003). Young children's acquisition of wh-questions: The role of structured input. Journal of Child Language, 30 , 117-143.

Grant, J., Valian, V., & Karmiloff-Smith, A. (2002). A study of relative clauses in Williams syndrome.Journal of Child Language, 29, 403-416.

On Gender

Valian, V. (2006). Women at the top in science - and elsewhere. In S. Ceci and W. Williams (Eds.), Why Aren't More Women in Science? (pp.27-37). Washington, D.C. American Psychological Association Press.

Valian, V. (2005). Beyond gender schemas: Improving the advancement of women in academia. Hypatia, 20 (3), 198-213.

Valian, V. (2000). The advancement of women in science and engineering. In Women in the chemical workforce: A workshop report to the Chemical Sciences Roundtable (pp 24-37). Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Rabinowitz, V. C. & Valian, V. (2000). Sex, sex differences, and social behavior. In D. LeCroy & P. Moller (Eds.), Evolutionary perspectives on human reproductive behavior (pp. 196-207). Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.