ContactInformation
Office Address:
Curriculum Vitae, 2015 Carl Nils Johnson
Department of Psychology in Education
5941 WWPH
University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA15260
Phone:412-624-6942
E-mail:
Current Positions, University of Pittsburgh
Associate Professor,Applied Developmental Psychology Program, Department of Psychology in Education
Secondary Appointment, Developmental Program, Department of Psychology
Education
Bucknell University: 1967-1971. B.A.,Psychology, 1971
University of Minnesota, Institute of Child Development: 1971- 1976,
N.I.M.H.Predoctoral Traineeship
Ph.D.,Child Psychology, 1976
Publications:Research Journal Articles
Roazzi, M. M., Johnson, C. N., Nyhof, M., Koller, S., & Roazzi, A. (2015). Vital energy and afterlife: Implicationsfor cognitive science of religion. Paidéia (Ribeirão
Preto) , 25 (61), 1-8.
Roazzi, M., Nyhof,M., & Johnson,C.N. (2013).Mind Soul and Spirit: Conceptions of Immaterial identity in different cultures.International Journal for the Psychology of
Religion. 23(1), 75- 86.
Johnson,C. N. & Harris, P.(1994). Magic: Special but not excluded. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 12, 35-51.
Peng, M.,Johnson,C. N., Pollock, J.,Glasspool, R. & Harris, P.(1992).Training young
children to acknowledge mixed emotion.Cognition and Emotion, 6(5), 387-401. Johnson,C.N.(1990). If you had my brain, where would I be?Children'sunderstanding
of the brain and identity. Child Development, 1990, 61, 962-972.
Harris, P.L., Johnson, C.N.,Hutton, D.,Andrew,G.,& Cooke, T. (1989).Young Children'sTheory of mind and emotion. Cognition and Emotion, 1989 3(4), 379-400.
Johnson,C.N.& Kendrick, K.(1984).Body partonomy:Howchildren partition the
human body.Developmental Psychology, 20, 967-974.
Wellman, H.M.& Johnson,C.N.(1982).Children'sunderstanding of food and its
functions:First steps toward a developmental description of concepts of nutrition. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 3, 135-148.
Johnson,C.N.& Wellman, H.M.(1982).Children'sdeveloping conceptions of the mind
and brain. Child Development, 53, 222-234.
Johnson,C.N.& Wellman, H.M.(1980).Developing understanding of mental verbs: Remember, knowand guess.Child Development, 51, 1095-110.
Wellman, H.M.& Johnson,C.N.(1979).The understanding of mental processes:A developmental study of remember and forget.Child Development, 50, 79-88.
Johnson,C.N.Maratsos, M.P.(1977).Early comprehension of mental verbs:Think and know.Child Development, 48, 1743-1747.
Publications: Books & Chapters
Johnson,C. N. (2008). The spirit of spiritual development. InR. Lerner, R. Roeser, and
E. Phelps (Eds), Positive Youth Development and Spirituality: From Theory to Research. West Conshohocken, Pa.: Templeton Foundation Press.
Wellman, H.M.& Johnson,C. N.(2008). Developing dualism:From intuitive
understanding to transcendental ideas. In A.Antonietti, A.Corradina & E. J. Lowe (Eds.) Psycho-physical dualism today: Aninterdisciplinary approach. Lanham, MD:Lexington Books.
Johnson,C. N.Boyatzis, C. J.(2006). Cognitive-cultural foundations of spiritual development. In E. C. Roehlkepartain, P.E. King, L. M.Wagener & P.L. Benson
(Eds.)The handbook of spiritual development in childhood and adolescence. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Johnson,C. N.(2000). Putting different things together: The development of metaphysical thinking. In Rosengren, K.,Johnson,C.N.and Harris, P.(Eds.)
Imagining the Impossible: Magical, Scientific, and Religious Thinking in Children. NewYork: Cambridge University Press.
Rosengren, K.,Johnson,C.N.and Harris, P.(Eds.) (2000). Imagining the Impossible:
Magical, Scientific, and Religious Thinking inChildren. NewYork: Cambridge University Press.
McCall, R.S.,Groark, C.J.,Strauss,M.S.& Johnson,C.N.(1998).Challenges of
University-Community outreach to traditional research universities: The University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development experience. In Lerner, R.M.& Simon,
L.A.K.(Eds.). University-community collaborations for the twenty-first century: outreach scholarship for youth and families. NewYork:Garland.
Curry, N.E. & Johnson,C.N.(1990). Beyondself-esteem:Developing a genuine sense
of human value. Washington, DC: NAEYC.
Johnson,C.N.(1988). Theory of mind and the structure of conscious experience. In Astington, J.W., Harris, P.L., & Olson,D.R.(Eds.).Developing theories of mind.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Johnson,C.N.Acquisition of mental verbs and the concept of mind. In S.Kucsaj, II (Ed.), Language development, Volume 1: Syntax and semantics, Lawrence
Erlbaum, 1982, 445-478.
Candland, D.K.,French, J.A.,& Johnson,C.N.Object-play:Test of a categorized model
by the genesis of object play in MacacaFuscata. In E.D. Smith (Ed.).Social play in primates, NewYork: Academic Press,1978.
Publications:Applied Journal Articles
McCall, R.B., Groark, C.J.Strauss,M.S.,& Johnson,C.N.(1995).Anexperiment promoting interdisciplinary applied human development: The University of
Pittsburgh model. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 16(4), 593-612.Johnson,C.N.,Mattingly, M.A.& King, M.E. (1988).Asurvey of University of
Pittsburgh Child Development and Child Care graduates (1970-1984). Child Care Quarterly, 17(1).
Johnson,C.N.(1982). Research in childcare. In Principles and Guidelines for Child Care Personnel Preparation Programs, Child Care Quarterly, 11(3).
Strauss,M.& Johnson,C.N.(1982).Academic perspectives:Applying research, teaching research and pursuing a career.Child Care Quarterly, 11, 55-66.
Fletcher, B.A.& Johnson,C.N.(1982).The myth of formal operations:Rethinking
adolescent cognition in clinical contexts. Children'sHealth Care.Summer. Johnson,C.N.(1980). Thinking what you feel and saying what you think. Children inContemporary Society, 13, 4, 119-120, 156.
Johnson,C.N.(1978). Early peer relations: Trends toward a more differentiated view.
NewConcepts in Human Services for the Developing YoungChild.Proceedings.
Universityof Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.
Johnson,C.N.(1977). Economics from the child'spoint of view. Children in Contemporary Society, 10, 59-60.
Publications: Reviews and Commentaries
Johnson,C. N.Nyhof,M.(2006).Transcendental self-organization.Commentary on
J.M.Bering, The Folk Psychology of Souls.Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 29(5), 478.
Johnson,C. N.(2001). Imagine this:A review of Harris(2000) “TheWork of the Imagination”. Journal of Cognition and Culture, 1, 361-365.
Johnson,C.N.(1997). Crazy children, fantastical theories and the many usesof
metaphysics. Commentary on J.Woolley’s review, “Thinking about fantasy:Are children fundamentally different thinkers and believers from adults?”Child Development, 68, 1024-1026.
Johnson,C.N.(1997). Review of R. Best (Ed.), Education, spirituality and the whole child. The British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 15, 391-2
Johnson,C. (1993). Gopnik'sinvention of intentionality.Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 16, 52-53.
Johnson,C.N.(1991). Theories of mind: What'snatural? Review of J.C.Maloney, The
Matter of Mental Language. Contemporary Psychology. 36, 1091.
Johnson,C.N.(1989). Book Review of "Children in Sports,"Play and Culture, 2, 278-
279.
Johnson,C.N.(1986). Development of Social Cognition. In Harre, R. & Lamb, R. (Eds.). The dictionary of developmental and educational Psychology. Oxford:
Blackwell, 57-58.
Sophia, N.C.& Johnson,C.N.(1984).Spurt-urbations in development:Evidence for levels? Psychological Bulletin.
Johnson,C.N.(1984). What'son the Mindsof Children? Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
Professional Presentations(From1990 to mostrecent)
Satlof-Bedrick, E. & Johnson, C. N. (2014, May). Mindfulness and metacognition: Children’s awareness of thinking and breathing. Annual Meeting of the Jean Piaget Society. San Francisco, CA.
Wanless, S.B,Wallace, T., Cartier, J., Akiva, T., Ferrara, A., Johnson, C. (2014, March). Helping preservice teachers feel ready to teach: Mindfulness and self-regulation.In K. Schonert-Reichl (Chair),Social and Emotional Learning in Teacher Preparation: Emerging Policy, Research, and Programs.Paper accepted for presentation at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Philadelphia, PA.
Satlof-Bedrick, E. & Johnson,C. N. (2013). Mindfulness in children: Developing awareness of breathing and thinking. Annual meeting of the Jean Piaget Society. Chicago, June 6-8.
Nyhof,M.; Roazzi, M.& Johnson,C.N.(2013).DoesVitalism Extend Beyond the Domain of Biology?: Chinese Children’s Understanding of Vital Energy.
SRCDbiennial Meeting, April 18-20, Seattle Washington.
Johnson,C. N.(2009). Getting Real: The Spirit of Youth. Invited address. 5th Biennial religious & spiritual development SRCDpreconference. Denver, CO,April 1.
Johnson,C. N.(2006). Cognitive-cultural groundsof spiritual development.Spirituality and positive youth development (PYD)conference.Tufts University,April 27– 28.
Johnson,C. N.(2005). Rethinking the nature of intrinsic value. Presentation in symposium organized by the presenter.Higher reality and value: The cognitivegroundof spiritual development. 35thAnnual Meeting of theJean Piaget Society, June 3.
Johnson,C. N.(2005). Reframing cognitive and spiritual development. Invited address.
Third Annual SRCDPre-conference on Religious and Spiritual Development.
Atlanta, Georgia. April 7.
Jacobs, M.& Johnson,C. N.(2005).Children’s understanding of ritual action.Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development. Atlanta Georgia,April 8.
Nyhof,M.& Johnson,C. N.(2005).Are children prepared for certain supernatural
beliefs? Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research inChild Development. Atlanta Georgia, April 8.
Johnson,C. N.Nyhof,M.(2003). Children’s conceptions of God:Cognitive themes &
religious variations. SRCDPre-conference on Spiritual Development. Tampa, FL. April, 24.
Johnson,C. N.& Jacobs, M.G.(2002).Rationality versusenchantment: The attraction
of more reality. International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development. Ottawa, Canada. August.
Johnson,C.N.(2001).Culturalvariationinfantasybeliefs.Invitedpresentationin symposium,“Evidenceofmetaphysicalthoughtinchildhood”.RebekahA.Richert, organizer.SecondbiennialmeetingoftheCognitiveDevelopmentSociety,Virginia Beach, VA.October 26.
Johnson,C. N.& Jacobs, M.G.(2001).Enchanted objects: Howpositive connections transform thinking about the nature of things. Poster and presentation. In C. Johnson(Chair), Symposium on "Children'sthinking about alternative Realities".Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development. MinneapolisMN,April 19.
Jacobs, M.G.& Johnson,C. N.(2001).Youngchildren'sconstruction of the value of things based on invisible connections. Poster presentation. Biennial Meeting of theSociety for Research in Child Development. Minneapolis, MN,April 22.
Johnson,C. N.(2001). Connecting things together: Links across the age span. Keynote address. Parents & Professionals Learning Together Conference. Pittsburgh MarriottCity Center. Pittsburgh PA,May 5.
Johnson,C.N.(1999). Annual PsyChilecture at the Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA. April 5.
Johnson,C.N.(1998). Invited talk. Children'sMetaphysical Thinking.University of Michigan, Program in Culture and Cognition. October 24.
Johnson,C.N.(1996). Revisions of Piaget: Theory of secularization. Presented at The Centennial Conference of Jean Piaget’s birth, “The GrowingMind”, Geneva, Switzerland, September 15.
Johnson,C.N.& Schwartzberg, D.(1995). The relationship behavior fantasy proneness and magical behavior in children. Biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, March 31.
Johnson,C. & Pizoli, V.(1994). Youngchildren'sconcepts of dreams and sleep.
Thirteenth Annual Conference on Human Development, Pittsburgh, PA,April 15.
Johnson,C.N.& Harris, P.(1991).Youngchildren'sreactions to magical outcomes: Credulous but not confused. Biennial meeting of the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development. Minneapolis, MN,July 4.
Johnson,C.N.(1991). From anticipation to reflection: Biological, cognitive and social underpinnings of children'sunderstanding of intentionality.Biennial Meeting of theSociety for Research in Child Development. Seattle, Washington, April 18-20. Curry, N.,Johnson,C.N.,Greenburg, P.(1990).Self-esteem:NewDirections in
Research and Practice. Conference of theNational Association for the Education of YoungChildren. Washington, DC,November 15-18.
CoursesTaught
Undergraduate:
Early childhood
Middle Childhood and Adolescence
Children'sPlay
Qualitative methods in research and practice
Developmental Psychology
Graduate:
Applied Developmental Psychology Professional Identity and Leadership
Applied Developmental Psychology Professional Seminar
Community-Based Learning Seminar
Seminar on Developmental Contemplative Science
Applied Issues:Seminar on Applied Developmental Practice.
Spiritual Development
Middle Childhood and Adolescent Development
Theoriesof cognition
The Development of Self-Representation
Metaphysical Thinking in Children
Qualitative Research Methods
Current Editorial Activities
International AdvisoryBoard, Journal of Cognition and Culture.2004- present Editorial Board, Review of General Psychology. 2009-present.
Occasional Reviewer for:Child Development, Cognitive Development.
Current Professional Memberships
Society for Research in Child Development
Service Activities (selected)
Advisory Board, Office of Child Development, University of Pittsburgh, 2000 – Current.
Chair, Department of Psychology in Education, 2006-2013.
Program Chair, Applied Developmental Psychology, 2006-2013.
Program Coordinator, Applied Developmental Program, School of Education.
Co-organizer, with RobertRoeser, StephanieCarlson and Phil Zelazo, Pre-conferenceon Developmental Contemplative Science.Preconference to the Annual Meeting of the Jean Piaget Society, May, 2012.
Senior Research Faculty, Mind and Life Summer Research Institute. 2009, 2010.
AdvisoryBoard of the JohnTempleton Foundation-funded project, “The role of spiritual
development in growth of purpose, generosity and psychological health in adolescence.” Directed by Richard Lerner,Tufts University, 2005 – 2009.
Member, University Council on Graduate studies.2004-5.
Chair, Academic Affairs Committee, School of Education. 2004-5.
Member of self-study committee in accreditation of the Liberty Extended Day Program.
Liberty School, 2003-4.
Chair and organizer of symposium on "Children'sthinking about alternative realities".
Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development. Minneapolis MN,April 19, 2001.
Support in development of a Pre-Conference on Religious and Spiritual Development.
Facilitator of sessionon the development of religious concepts. Conference preceding the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development.
Minneapolis MN,April 19, 2001
Associate Directory, Office of Child Development, University of Pittsburgh, 1987-2000.
Co-organizer, with Mark Strauss,of initiative to establish an interdisciplinary
undergraduate program in the area of children, youth and families. ProvostMaher, through the Office of Child Development, requested the effort. 1996-97
Led in the organization and writing of the internal review of the Child Development and
Child Care Program, 1996.
Coordinator of the Faculty Study Group: Attachment Acrossthe Life Span.Office of Child Development, 1995-6.
Board Member: Center for Assessmentand Treatment of Youth, Pittsburgh, PA1991 - 1996
Organizer of Colloquia, Faculty "Foodfor Thought" luncheon discussionsand "Theory in Practice" seminars for the Office of Child Development.1987- 1994.
Member of the Planning Committee for the Conference on Families and Racism,
September 18, 1993.
Co-founder, with Mark Strauss,of the Office of Child Development, University of Pittsburgh, 1986.