Diego Placido

I received my Ph.D. and M.A. in Developmental Psychology (Minor in Quantitative Psychology; Computational Social Science Designated Emphasis) from the University of California, Davis, where I trained under the guidance of Dr. Yuko Munakata. Prior to this, I conducted post‑baccalaureate research at Brown University with Dr. Dima Amso, examining how early life environments shape attention and cognitive control. I earned my B.A. in Psychology (Neuroscience & Computer Science Focus) from Brandeis University, where I began my research on cognitive processes with Dr. Arthur Wingfield.

In my current research, I examine the role of external sensory information—particularly caregiver unpredictability—on children’s adaptive cognitive and emotional regulation. I apply a multi-modal approach that includes behavioral, psychophysiological, and computational modeling measures to understand when seemingly “immature” regulatory strategies reflect adaptive responses to environmental demands. This work reframes developmental variability as potentially adaptive and seeks to uncover mechanisms linking environmental context to regulatory development.