I completed my first degree in Psychology at the National University of my hometown: Rosario, Argentina in 2009. After working as a research assistant for a year, I joined the National Research Council of Argentina (CONICET) as a doctoral fellow for the following 5 years. After this, I was awarded with my PhD at the National University of Cordoba, Argentina in 2016. I then worked as a postdoctoral fellow at CONICET for another two years. I had also worked in a teaching position at the Educational Psychology School at the Universidad del Gran Rosario [University of the Great Rosario] from 2012 to 2019. I finally joined the Department of Psychology of Staffordshire University as a Lecturer in April, 2019.
Professional memberships and activities
British Psychological Society
Society for Research in Child Development
Academic qualifications
PhD Summa Cum Laude on ‘The influence of referential intentionality in the emergence of understanding, production and use of drawings’, School of Psychology, National University of Cordoba, Argentina, 2016
BSc Psychology (First Class), School of Psychology, National University of Rosario, Argentina,
2009 PGCHPE, University of Staffordshire, 2021
Expertise
Developmental and educational psychology
Gender studies
Equality Diversity and Inclusion
Research interests
My main area of research is in symbolic development, especially as it relates to children and pictures. I am also very interested in gender development and stereotypes as well as in equality, diversity and inclusion more broadly from both a developmental and educational perspective.
Grants
BPS Undergraduate Research Assistantship Scheme 2025 to support Al Payne, for the project 'Drawing the Line on Gender Stereotypes: Children's Graphic Representations of Sportspeople'. Romina Vivaldi (PI).
SEDA Research and Evaluation Small Grant 2025 'Humour use in Higher Education Teaching: Development of a humour style use toolkit'. Hannah Robinson (PI), Sarah Rose, Romina Vivaldi and Jade Elliot (Co-PIs).
Pedagogies for Racial Equality Programme 2025 Small Grant.'Call Me by My Name'. University of Staffordshire. Romina Vivaldi (PI)
Teaching
At Undergraduate level I currently contribute to the following modules:
- Adventures in Psychology 1 (ML)
- Childhood Contexts and Wellbeing (ML)
- Child Psychology: Theory to Practice
- Children and Pictures
- Exploring Difference: A Quantitative Approach
- Pathways in Psychology and Child Development
- Pathways in Psychology and Counselling
- Psychology of Oppression and Empowerment
- Psychology Project
- Steps to Success 1, 2 & 3
Publications
My main area of research is in symbolic development, especially as it relates to pictures.
I am also very interested in occupational gender stereotypes.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2642-9281
Selected Publications
- Vivaldi, R. A. & Rose, S. E. (2024). A cross-cultural study of children’s graphic representations of men- and women-dominated occupations. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 42 (4),461-477.
- Robinson, H., Rose, S., Elliot, J., & Vivaldi, R. (2024). Teachers' Humour Use in the Classroom: A Scoping Review. Educational Psychology Review, 36 (73).
- Vivaldi, R. A., & Allen, M. L. (2021). Beyond literal depiction: Children's flexible understanding of pictures. Journal of experimental child psychology, 210, 105208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2021.105208
- Vivaldi, R. A., Jolley, R. P., & Rose, S. E. (2020). From mind to picture: A systematic review on children’s and adolescents’ understanding of the link between artists and pictures. Developmental Review, 55, 100895. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.DR.2020.100895
- Rodríguez, J., Gariboldi, M. B., Vivaldi, R. & Salsa, A. (2019). Geometric maps as tools for different purposes in early childhood. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 186, 33-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2019.05.004
- Salsa, A. M. & Vivaldi, R. A. (2017). Developmental changes in early comprehension and production of drawings: Evidence from two socioeconomic backgrounds. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 178(4), 217-228. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221325.2017.1328385
- Vivaldi, R. A. & Salsa, A. M. (2017). Drawing for others: influence of referential intention in early production of drawings. Journal for the Study of Education and Development, 40(1),56-87.
- Salsa, A. M. & Vivaldi, R. A. (2016). Pedagogical cues to artist’s intention in young children’s understanding of drawings. Journal of Cognition and Development,17(5),786-799 https://doi.org/10.1080/15248372.2015.1042578