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Overview
I am a lecturer and researcher at the Neurodevelopmental Assessment Unit (NDAU), based in the Centre for Human Developmental Science. At the NDAU, children between the ages of 4-7 are referred to the Unit and then assessed using a range of cognitive, emotional and behavioural tasks. The results of these tasks are reported back to the child's school so that they can be better supported in their learning environments.
Research Interests
My research interests are in psychological resilience and stress-related developmental psychopathology, and social cognition. My PhD was a neuroimaging study of resilience in children and adolescents that examined associations between resilience and conscious and unconscious face processing in adversity-exposed young people. I am also interested in the differential effects of abuse and neglect, and the cognitive processes that potentially confer resilience to psychopathology. I am interested in applying advanced statistical methods to large datasets, and in examining the associations between social cognition, adversity, and executive functioning dimensionally.
Publication
2026
- Eaton, S. and van Goozen, S. H. M. 2026. RDoC cognitive systems and emerging psychopathology: A latent variable analysis of teacher-reported psychosocial difficulties and executive function processes in young children. Psychological Medicine 56 e222. (10.1017/S003329172610508X)
- Paine, A. L. et al. 2026. A new approach to assessment for young children referred by education professionals for socio‐emotional, behavioural, and cognitive difficulties. JCPP Advances e70138. (10.1002/jcv2.70138)
2025
- Eaton, S. et al. 2025. Neural activation during processing of emotional faces as a function of resilience in adolescents. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 34 , pp.2943-2955. (10.1007/s00787-025-02703-y)
2024
- Eaton, S. , Dorrans, E. M. and van Goozen, S. H. M. 2024. Impaired social attention and cognitive empathy in a paediatric sample of children with symptoms of anxiety. Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology 52 (12), pp.1945-1960. (10.1007/s10802-024-01240-7)
Articles
- Eaton, S. and van Goozen, S. H. M. 2026. RDoC cognitive systems and emerging psychopathology: A latent variable analysis of teacher-reported psychosocial difficulties and executive function processes in young children. Psychological Medicine 56 e222. (10.1017/S003329172610508X)
- Paine, A. L. et al. 2026. A new approach to assessment for young children referred by education professionals for socio‐emotional, behavioural, and cognitive difficulties. JCPP Advances e70138. (10.1002/jcv2.70138)
- Eaton, S. et al. 2025. Neural activation during processing of emotional faces as a function of resilience in adolescents. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 34 , pp.2943-2955. (10.1007/s00787-025-02703-y)
- Eaton, S. , Dorrans, E. M. and van Goozen, S. H. M. 2024. Impaired social attention and cognitive empathy in a paediatric sample of children with symptoms of anxiety. Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology 52 (12), pp.1945-1960. (10.1007/s10802-024-01240-7)
Research
My research interests are in executive functioning, psychological resilience, social cognition, and stress-related developmental psychopathology. Specifically, I am interested in protective factors, associations between processes such as empathy and emotion recognition and psychopathology, and the differential effects of abuse and neglect. Furthermore, I am interested in applying novel statistical methods (i.e., machine learning) to large datasets and how these analyses might compliment or contrafict traditional methods and findings.
Teaching
I teach on the MSc in Children's Psychological Conditions. I deliver lectures on topics such as Executive Functioning, psychophysiology, and resilience to adverse experiences.
Biography
Undergraduate Education
2010 - 2013 Bachelor of Science (Hons) - Bath Spa University
Postgraduate Education
2013 - 2014 MSc, Principles of Applied Neuropsychology - Bath Spa University
2017 - 2018 MRes, Psychology - University of Bath
2019 - 2022 Doctor of Philosophy, Psychology - University of Bath
Contact Details
Research themes
Specialisms
- Neuropsychology
- Machine learning
- stress
- Neuroimaging
- Social Cognition