Prof. Dr. Christopher Osterhaus

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Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

2026, in press

Sobel, D., Köksal, Ö., Osterhaus, C., Moeller Bachhuber, A., & Sodian, B. (2026). Longitudinal relations between representational and advanced theory of mind and scientific reasoning from ages 4 to 7. Developmental Science, 29(5), e70270. https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.70270

Osterhaus, C., Uchinokura, S., & Tsuji, H. (2026). Reading between the lines: Universal structure and cultural variation in advanced Theory of Mind. Child Development, 97(4), 1383–1398. https://doi.org/10.1093/chidev/aacag051

Osterhaus, C., Sodian, B., Köksal, Ö., & Sobel, D. M. (2026). Longitudinal relations among Theory of Mind, advanced Theory of Mind, and executive function from ages four to seven. Developmental Science, 29(3), e70173. https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.70173

Warnke, J.,^* & Osterhaus, C. (2026). Mapping multi-domain influences on Theory of Mind: A systematic review and call for research action. Infant and Child Development, 35(1), e70080. https://doi.org/10.1002/icd.70080

Osterhaus, C., & Bosacki, S. L. (2026). The role of sexual orientation, gender, and cognitive flexibility in social ambiguity interpretation. Sexual and Gender Diversity in Social Services. https://doi.org/10.1080/29933021.2026.2686643

Osterhaus, C. (2026). Razonamiento científico y teoría de la mente en la infancia. Revista Intercambios, 11(2), 12–27. https://ojs.unq.edu.ar/index.php/intercambios

Koerber, S., & Osterhaus, C. (2026). Faces and phases of epistemic curiosity in science learning: A longitudinal study. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 44(3), 657–670. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjdp.70041

Osterhaus, C., & Ioverno, S. (2026). The impact of Theory of Mind abilities on the coming-out process in LGBTQ+ teenagers. International Journal of LGBTQ+ Youth Studies, 23(2). 336-352. https://doi.org/10.1080/29968992.2025.2553088

Osterhaus, C., & Koerber, S. (2026). Domain-general scientific reasoning abilities in kindergarten independently predict the mathematics ability of elementary-school children. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 44, 134–145. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjdp.70013

2025

Osterhaus, C., D’Urso, G., Koerber, S., & Bosacki, S. L. (2025). Theory of Mind, self-perceptions, and peer ratings of popularity in middle childhood and pre-adolescence. Children, 12(3), 281; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12030281

Lecce, S., Mascheretti, S., Stagnitto, S. M., & Osterhaus, C. (2025). Individual differences in theory of mind and children’s advanced scientific reasoning in elementary school. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 49(4), 382 - 388. https://doi.org/10.1177/01650254241305545

2024

Lecce, S., Mascheretti, S., Stagnitto, S., & Osterhaus, C. (2024). Individual differences in Theory of Mind and children’s advanced scientific reasoning in elementary school. International Journal of Behavioral Development. https://doi.org/10.1177/01650254241305545

Osterhaus, C., Lecce, S., & Koerber, S. (2024). Unlocking narratives: Longitudinal associations between Theory of Mind and reading comprehension. British Journal of Developmental Psychology., 42(4), 511–516. http://doi.org/10.1111/bjdp.12514

Osterhaus, C., & Koerber, S. (2024). The personal epistemology of parents predicts the development of scientific reasoning in children aged 6 to 10 years. Developmental Science, 27, e13474. https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.13474

Smogorzewska, J., Szumski, G., Bosacki, S. L., Grygiel, P., & Osterhaus, C. (2024). Longitudinal relations between theory of mind and academic achievement among deaf and hard-of-hearing school-aged children. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 239. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2023.105806

2023

Osterhaus, C., & Koerber, S. (2023). The complex associations between children’s scientific reasoning and advanced theory of mind. Child Development, 94(1), e18–e42. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13860

Osterhaus, C., Lin, X., & Koerber, S. (2023). Measuring scientific reasoning in kindergarten and elementary school: Validating the Chinese version of the Science-K Inventory. Educational Research for Policy and Practice. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10671-023-09332-9

Smogorzewska, J., & Osterhaus, C. (2023). A matter of style? Parenting behaviors of mothers of typically-developing children, children with mild intellectual disability, and deaf or hard-of-hearing children. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 20(1), 86–106. https://doi.org/10.1080/17405629.2022.2039618

2022

Osterhaus, C., & Bosacki, S. L. (2022). Looking for the lighthouse: A systematic review of advanced theory-of-mind tests beyond preschool. Developmental Review, 64, 101021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2022.101021

Osterhaus, C. (2022). „Wenn er weiß, dass sie weiß, was er denkt“ – Hängt die Entwicklung sozialkognitiver Fähigkeiten mit dem Schließen von Freundschaften im Grundschulalter zusammen? PraxisForschungLehrer*innenBildung, 4(5), 21–35. https://doi.org/10.11576/pflb-5733

Kloo, D., Osterhaus, C., Kristen‐Antonow, S., & Sodian, B. (2022). The impact of theory of mind and executive function on math and reading abilities: A longitudinal study. Infant and Child Development, 31(6), e2356. https://doi.org/10.1002/icd.2356

Nyberg, K., Koerber, S., & Osterhaus, C. (2022). Does task-specific self-efficacy predict science competencies? Journal of Education and Training Studies, 10(4). https://doi.org/10.11114/jets.v10i4.5585  

Nyberg, K., Koerber, S., & Osterhaus, C. (2022). Self-effective scientific reasoning? Differences between elementary and secondary school students. Frontline Learning Research, 10(1), 22–45. https://doi.org/10.14786/flr.v10i1.955

Osterhaus, C., Kristen-Antonow, S., Kloo, D., & Sodian, B. (2022). Advanced scaling and modeling of children's theory of mind competencies: Longitudinal findings in 4- to 6-year-olds. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 46(3), 251–259 . https://doi.org/10.1177/01650254221077334

Koerber, S., & Osterhaus C. (2022). Does advanced theory of mind protect elementary-school children from loneliness? Longitudinal associations from 9 to 10 years. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 183(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221325.2021.1994913

2021

Osterhaus, C., & Koerber, S. (2021). The development of advanced theory of mind in middle childhood: A longitudinal study from age 5 to 10 years. Child Development, 92(5), 1872–1888. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13627

Smogorzewska, J., & Osterhaus, C. (2021). Advanced theory of mind in children with mild intellectual disability and deaf or hard-of-hearing children: A two-year longitudinal study in middle childhood. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 39(4), 603–624. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjdp.12389

Opitz, T., Schuwerk, T., Paulus, M., Kloo, D., Osterhaus, C., Lesch, K.-P., & Sodian, B. (2021). No links between genetic variation and theory of mind development: A replication attempt of Lackner et al. (2012). Developmental Science, 24(5), e13100. https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.13100

Osterhaus, C., Brandone, A., Vosniadou, S., & Nicolopoulou, A. (2021). The emergence and development of scientific thinking during the early years: Basic processes and supportive contexts. Frontiers in Psychology, 12(387). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.629384

Koerber, S., & Osterhaus, C. (2021). Science competencies in kindergarten: A prospective longitudinal study in the last year of kindergarten. Unterrichtswissenschaft, 49, 117–136. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42010-020-00093-5

Osterhaus, C., & Koerber, S. (2021). Social cognition in and beyond kindergarten: The relation between first-order and advanced theory of mind. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 18(4), 573-592. https://doi.org/10.1080/17405629.2020.1820861

2020

Schwichow, M., Osterhaus, C., & Edelsbrunner, P. (2020). The relation between the control-of-variables strategy and content knowledge in physics in secondary school. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 63, 101923. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101923 

Osterhaus, C., Putnick, D. L., Kristen-Antonow, S., Kloo, D., Bornstein, M. H., & Sodian, B. (2020). Theory of Mind and diverse intelligences in 4-year-olds: Modeling associations of false beliefs with children’s numerate-spatial, verbal, and social intelligence. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 38, 580–593. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjdp.12336

Osterhaus, C., Koerber, S., & Sodian, B. (2020). The Science-P Reasoning Inventory (SPR-I): Measuring emerging scientific-reasoning skills in primary school. International Journal of Science Education, 42, 1087–1107. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2020.1748251

Nyberg, K., Koerber, S., & Osterhaus, C. (2020). How to measure scientific reasoning in primary school: A comparison of different test modalities. European Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 8, 137–144. http://scimath.net/articles/83/833.pdf

Koerber, S., & Osterhaus, C. (2020). Some but not all aspects of (advanced) Theory of Mind predict loneliness. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 38, 144–148. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjdp.12302

2019

Knöchelmann, N., Krueger, S., Flack, A., & Osterhaus, C. (2019). Adults’ ability to interpret covariation data presented in bar graphs depends on the context of the problem. Frontline Learning Research, 7(4), 58–65. https://doi.org/10.14786/flr.v7i4.471

Koerber, S., & Osterhaus, C. (2019). Individual differences in early scientific thinking: Assessment, cognitive influences, and their relevance for science learning. Journal of Cognition and Development, 20(4), 510–533. https://doi.org/10.1080/15248372.2019.1620232

Osterhaus, C., Magee, J., Saffran, A., & Alibali, M. W. (2019). Supporting successful interpretations of covariation data: Beneficial effects of variable symmetry and problem context. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 72, 994–1004. https://doi.org/10.1177/1747021818775909

2017 and before

Osterhaus, C., Koerber, S., & Sodian, B. (2017). Scientific thinking in elementary school: Children's social cognition and their epistemological understanding promote experimentation skills. Developmental Psychology, 53, 450–462. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000260

Koerber, S., Osterhaus, C., & Sodian, B. (2017). Diagrams support revision of prior belief in primary school. Frontline Learning Research, 5(1), 76–84. https://doi.org/10.14786/flr.v5i1.265

Osterhaus, C., Koerber, S., & Sodian, B. (2016). Scaling of advanced theory-of-mind tasks. Child Development, 87, 1971–1991. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12566

Osterhaus, C., Koerber, S., & Sodian, B. (2015). Children’s understanding of experimental contrast and experimental control: An inventory for primary school. Frontline Learning Research, 3(4), 56–94. https://doi.org/10.14786/flr.v3i4.220

Koerber, S., Osterhaus, C., & Sodian, B. (2015). Testing primary-school children’s understanding of the nature of science. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 33, 57–72. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjdp.12067

Koerber, S., Mayer, D., Osterhaus, C., Schwippert, K., & Sodian, B. (2015). The development of scientific thinking in elementary school: A comprehensive inventory. Child Development, 86, 327–336. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12298

Chapters in Edited Volumes

Osterhaus, C. (2024). Die Entwicklung, Erfassung und Förderung des wissenschaftlichen Denkens in der Grundschule. In D. Graf, W. H. Honal, & F. Knoll (Eds.), Handbuch der Schulberatung. Mediengruppe Oberfranken – Fachverlage.

Osterhaus, C. (2023). Sich in andere hineinversetzen: Die fortgeschrittene Theory of Mind und ihre Bedeutung im Handlungsfeld Schule. In D. Graf, W. H. Honal, & F. Knoll (Eds.), Handbuch der Schulberatung. Mediengruppe Oberfranken - Fachverlage

Koerber, S., Sodian, B., & Osterhaus, C. (2022). Entwicklung des naturwissenschaftlichen Denkens. In J. Kahlert, M. Fölling-Albers, M. Götz, A. Hartinger, S. Miller, & S. Wittkowske (Eds.), Handbuch Didaktik des Sachunterrichts (3rd ed., pp. 355-360). Julius Klinkhardt.

Koerber, S., Sodian, B., Osterhaus, C., Mayer, D., Kropf, N., & Schwippert, K. (2017). Science-P.II. Modeling scientific reasoning in primary school. In D. Leutner, J. Fleischer, J. Grünkorn, & E. Klieme (Eds.).  Competence assessment in education: Research, models and instruments (pp. 19-30). Springer. 

Other (Publications in Science Magazines)

Osterhaus, C. (2023). El pensamiento de los demás. Mente y Cerebro, 12-16

Osterhaus, C. (2022). Das Denken der anderen. Gehirn&Geist, August 2022, 20-25.

Osterhaus, C. (2002). À quoi tu penses? Cerveau & Psycho, 149(1), 12-16