This week, Misha chats with Robert Hawkins, Assistant Professor of Linguistics at Stanford University. Robert directs the Social Interaction Lab where he studies the cognitive mechanisms that enable human communication and collaboration. His interdisciplinary work combines interactive experiments with computational models to uncover how people flexibly coordinate with one another.

In this episode, we discuss his recent paper on communication in reference games, exploring how lexical search and social reasoning work together when we try to help others understand what we're talking about. They also dive into Robert's academic journey, his vision for the Social Interaction Lab, and how he successfully navigates the interdisciplinary landscape of cognitive science.

If you found this episode interesting, subscribe to our Substack and consider leaving us a good rating! It just takes a second, but it will allow us to reach more people and excite them about psychology.

Links: 

Robert's paper on lexical search and social reasoning: https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2026-03739-001.html
Robert's website: https://rdhawkins.com/
Robert's Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/rdhawkins.bsky.social 

Misha's website: https://www.mishaokeeffe.com/ 

Podcast Twitter: @StanfordPsyPod
Podcast Bluesky: @stanfordpsypod.bsky.social
Podcast Substack: https://stanfordpsypod.substack.com/ 

Let us know what you think of this episode or the podcast! :) [email protected]