Shannon Spaulding

I am Professor of Philosophy and Head of the Philosophy Department at Oklahoma State University. My general philosophical interests are in cognitive science, philosophy of psychology, and philosophy of science. The principal goal of my research is to construct a philosophically and empirically plausible account of social cognition. My current research projects are on motivated empathy, the relationship between trust and perspective taking, and cognitive structure of implicit bias.

Research Interests:

My primary area of research is social cognition, the capacity to understand and interact with other agents. I discuss the development of social cognition, the role of mental representations in our interactions, how stereotypes and biases influence social cognition, and what happens when we misunderstand others. Most recently I have focused in on the capacity for empathy and what empathy's virtues and vices reveal about human cognition. This research is highly interdisciplinary and encompasses research from philosophy, cognitive neuroscience, social psychology, developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, linguistics, and sociology. In 2018, published a book with Routledge called "How We Understand Others: Philosophy and Social Cognition." "The Routledge Handbook of Embodied Cognition, 2nd edition" co-edited with Lawrence Shapiro will be published in 2024.