Daniela Galvez-Cepeda

Research

Children’s identities in a changing media world.

My work sits at the intersection of cognitive development, social identity, and media psychology. I use experiments, surveys, child-friendly tasks, and content analysis to study both what children encounter in the media and how they make meaning from it.

Current agenda

Four connected lines of inquiry.

Each project asks how children understand themselves, other people, and the possibilities represented around them.

Daniela Galvez-Cepeda presenting research at the 2025 SRCD Biennial Meeting
Presenting the Continuous Gender Identity Measure at SRCD 2025

Research experience

Built across developmental, cognitive, and social psychology labs.

My research training spans the full project cycle, including study design, child interviews, recruitment, data management, statistical analysis, supervision, and public presentation.

2024 to presentUniversity of Michigan

Conceptual Development Lab & Ward Lab

Graduate student working with Dr. Susan Gelman and Dr. L. Monique Ward.

  • Researching media influences on children’s gender identity development and stereotypes.
  • Examining links between princess and superhero media and children’s well-being.
2022 to 2024New York University

Cognitive Development Lab

Senior Research Assistant and Junior Lab Manager working with Dr. Andrei Cimpian and Dr. Adam Stanaland.

  • Studied fragile masculinity, status aspirations, and children’s endorsement of gender-based power differentials.
  • Supervised research, managed data quality, trained assistants, and analyzed data using R, SPSS, and JASP.
2021 to 2024Williams College

Cognition, Action, Learning, and FUN! Lab

Honors thesis student and Research Assistant working with Dr. Eliza Congdon.

  • Led an honors thesis on gesture, cognitive load, and children’s visuospatial memory.
  • Developed the Continuous Gender Identity Measure and supported work on math anxiety and gesture-speech synchrony.
2023 to 2024Washington University in St. Louis

Cognition & Development Lab

Research Assistant and Interim Lab Manager working with Dr. Lori Markson.

  • Contributed to projects on the common good and children’s inferences about racial attitudes.
  • Supported recruitment, coded sessions, supervised lab operations, and translated materials into Spanish.