Azzurra Ruggeri

Research Interests:

My research focuses on how children and adults actively search for information when making decisions, drawing causal inferences and solving categorization tasks. Search strategies, as any other kind of strategies, are not always effective, because their usefulness and performance depends on the characteristics of the problem presented. In this sense, I am interested in how adaptive children and adults’ search for information strategies are, how sensitive and responsive they are to the structure of the tasks. I am especially interested in how actively searching for information, being able to generate the information we are interested in and to focus on what we consider most relevant, can impact our learning, understanding and explanations.

Grants and awards

• 2021: John Templeton Foundation, Virtual Research Network on the Development of Intellectual Humility, $30.000 (starting funds)
• 2020: Volkswagen Foundation - Artificial Intelligence and the Society of the Future, “Towards a theory of curiosity,” €1.500.000 (of which €585.800 to Azzurra Ruggeri)
• 2019: Innovation funds of Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Leibniz - Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, project: “Center for Active Learning in Museums,” €15.500
• 2018: DFG Focus Program: The active self (SPP 2134), project: “Climbing to yourself,” €350.000
• 2013-2017: Research Fellowship, Marie Curie Actions International Outgoing Fellowships, $282.000 
• 2014: Best Early Career Developmental Paper, AIP (Italian Psychological Association), $1.200