Contact Information
Curriculum Vitae, 2015
Carl Nils Johnson
Office Address:
Department of Psychology in Education
1
5941 WWPH
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Phone: 412-624-6942
E-mail: johnson@pitt.edu
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: Implications for 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's understanding 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's Theory of mind and emotion. Cognition and Emotion , 1989 3(4), 379-400.
Johnson, C.N. & Kendrick, K. (1984). Body partonomy: How children partition the human body. Developmental Psychology , 20, 967-974.
Wellman, H.M. & Johnson, C.N. (1982). Children's understanding 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's developing conceptions of the mind and brain. Child Development , 53, 222-234.
Johnson, C.N. & Wellman, H.M. (1980). Developing understanding of mental verbs:
Remember, know and guess. Child Development , 51, 1095-110.

Johnson CV, 2015
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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. In R. 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: An interdisciplinary 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.
New York: Cambridge University Press.
Rosengren, K., Johnson, C.N. and Harris, P. (Eds.) (2000). Imagining the Impossible:
Magical, Scientific, and Religious Thinking in Children.
New York: 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 . New York: Garland.
Curry, N.E. & Johnson, C.N. (1990). Beyond self-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 Macaca Fuscata. In E.D. Smith (Ed.). Social play in primates , New York: Academic Press, 1978.
Publications: Applied Journal Articles
McCall, R.B., Groark, C.J. Strauss, M.S., & Johnson, C.N. (1995). An experiment 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). A survey of University of
Pittsburgh Child Development and Child Care graduates (1970-1984). Child Care
Quarterly , 17(1).

Johnson CV, 2015
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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's Health Care . Summer.
Johnson, C.N. (1980). Thinking what you feel and saying what you think. Children in Contemporary Society , 13, 4, 119-120, 156.
Johnson, C.N. (1978). Early peer relations: Trends toward a more differentiated view.
New Concepts in Human Services for the Developing Young Child . Proceedings.
University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.
Johnson, C.N. (1977). Economics from the child's point 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) “The Work of the
Imagination”
. Journal of Cognition and Culture , 1, 361-365.
Johnson, C.N. (1997). Crazy children, fantastical theories and the many uses of 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's invention of intentionality. Behavioral and Brain Sciences,
16, 52-53.
Johnson, C.N. (1991). Theories of mind: What's natural? 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's on the Minds of Children? Behavioral and Brain Sciences .
Professional Presentations (From 1990 to most recent)
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.

Johnson CV, 2015
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). Does Vitalism Extend Beyond the
Domain of Biology?: Chinese Children’s Understanding of Vital Energy.
SRCD biennial Meeting, April 18-20, Seattle Washington.
Johnson, C. N. (2009). Getting Real: The Spirit of Youth . Invited address. 5th Biennial religious & spiritual development SRCD preconference. Denver, CO, April 1.
4
Johnson, C. N. (2006). Cognitive-cultural grounds of 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 cognitive ground of spiritual development. 35th Annual Meeting of the Jean Piaget
Society, June 3.
Johnson, C. N. (2005). Reframing cognitive and spiritual development. Invited address.
Third Annual SRCD Pre-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 in Child Development.
Atlanta Georgia, April 8.
Johnson, C. N. & Nyhof, M. (2003). Children’s conceptions of God: Cognitive themes & religious variations. SRCD Pre-conference on Spiritual Development. Tampa,
FL. April, 24.
Johnson, C. N. & Jacobs, M. G. (2002). Rationality versus enchantment: The attraction of more reality. International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development.
Ottawa, Canada. August.
Johnson, C. N. (2001). Cultural variation in fantasy beliefs. Invited presentation in symposium, “Evidence of metaphysical thought in childhood”. Rebekah A.
Richert, organizer. Second biennial meeting of the Cognitive Development
Society, Virginia Beach, VA. October 26.
Johnson, C. N. & Jacobs, M. G. (2001). Enchanted objects: How positive connections transform thinking about the nature of things. Poster and presentation. In C.
Johnson (Chair), Symposium on "Children's thinking about alternative Realities".
Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development. Minneapolis
MN, April 19.
Jacobs, M. G. & Johnson, C. N. (2001). Young children's construction of the value of things based on invisible connections. Poster presentation. Biennial Meeting of the Society 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 Marriott City Center. Pittsburgh PA, May 5.
Johnson, C.N. (1999). Annual PsyChi lecture at the Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA.
April 5.
Johnson, C.N. (1998). Invited talk. Children's Metaphysical 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 Growing Mind”, 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 CV, 2015
Johnson, C. & Pizoli, V. (1994). Young children's concepts of dreams and sleep.
Thirteenth Annual Conference on Human Development, Pittsburgh, PA, April 15.
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Johnson, C.N. & Harris, P. (1991). Young children's reactions 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's understanding of intentionality. Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development. Seattle, Washington, April 18-20.
Curry, N., Johnson, C.N., Greenburg, P. (1990). Self-esteem: New Directions in
Research and Practice. Conference of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Washington, DC, November 15-18.
Courses Taught
Undergraduate:
Early childhood
Middle Childhood and Adolescence
Children's Play
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
Theories of cognition
The Development of Self-Representation
Metaphysical Thinking in Children
Qualitative Research Methods
Current Editorial Activities
International Advisory Board, 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 Robert Roeser, Stephanie Carlson and Phil Zelazo, Pre-conference on
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.
Advisory Board of the John Templeton 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.

Johnson CV, 2015
Member of self-study committee in accreditation of the Liberty Extended Day Program.
Liberty School, 2003-4.
Chair and organizer of symposium on "Children's thinking 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 session on 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
6 undergraduate program in the area of children, youth and families. Provost Maher, 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 Across the Life Span. Office of
Child Development, 1995-6.
Board Member: Center for Assessment and Treatment of Youth, Pittsburgh, PA 1991 -
1996
Organizer of Colloquia, Faculty "Food for Thought" luncheon discussions and "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.