Nicholas A. Vest

Nicholas A. Vest

Graduate Student

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Hello! 👋

I am a graduate student in the Department of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a member of the Cognitive Development and Communication Lab.

Prior to graduate school, I was a lab manager for the Learning, Education, and Development Lab in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Indiana University.

Broadly, my research interests include numerical and mathematical cognitive development. I am particularly passionate about exploring how cognitive processes intersect with education and child development, and I aim to make meaningful contributions to these fields through my research.

Interests
  • Numerical magnitude
  • Mathematical fluency
  • Contextual factors (e.g., identity) in the classroom
Education

  • Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology, 2025

    University of Wisconsin-Madison

  • M.S. in Developmental Psychology, 2021

    University of Wisconsin-Madison

  • B.S. in Psychology, 2016

    Indiana University-Bloomington

Projects

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All Integers Patterns Algebra
Understanding of Negative Integer Magnitudes
How do people mentally represent negative integers, and how do these representations influence their behavior during numerical tasks such as symbolic number comparisons?
Supporting Children's Patterning
How can instructional strategies, such as the use of gestures and perceptual support, enhance young children’s ability to recognize and understand shape patterns, and how does this impact their numerical knowledge?
Conceptual and Procedural Knowledge of Algebra
How can adaptive instructional strategies and tools, such as intelligent tutoring systems and pedagogical gestures, influence the development of mathematical understanding and problem-solving skills in middle-school students?
Understanding of Zero
How do students’ explicit and implicit concepts of zero develop, and how do activities with number lines influence their understanding of zero and their ability to use the additive inverse principle?