Eugenia Wildt

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Eugenia Wildt is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of early childhood development, human-robot interaction, and educational technology. Her work focuses on how young children engage with social robots and digital media, with a particular emphasis on fostering metatalk—the ability to reflect on and communicate about communication itself. In her most-cited study (2024, 8 citations), she demonstrated that social robots can effectively elicit metatalk in preschoolers, opening new pathways for cultivating critical technological thinking from an early age. Her comprehensive review on language learning with media and technology in early childhood (2024, 3 citations) synthesizes current knowledge on how infants as young as six months interact with digital tools, challenging assumptions about the robustness of word knowledge acquired through technology. Wildt’s contributions are particularly notable for bridging developmental psychology with robotics and media studies, offering practical insights for educators, parents, and technologists. Her pilot study represents a significant step toward understanding how social robots can support not just language acquisition but also metacognitive skills in young children, positioning her as a key voice in the responsible integration of technology into early learning environments.