Alphablocks Research Lab

Alphablocks Nursery School’s mission is to provide outstanding early education, empowering children to become confident learners. A great deal is already known about how this can be done effectively, but more remains to be explored and discovered.

Alphablocks Research Lab conducts fundamental research in early cognition and development collaborating with leading experts in developmental psychology, childhood education, and beyond. The focus is on child and adolescent adjustment from a social-emotional and cognitive perspective, paying attention to both lifelong learning and mental health outcomes.

A graphic illustration featuring a large letter 'K' and colorful depictions of brain profiles in contrasting backgrounds.
Logo of UCL Institute of Education in purple and white colors.

Annual Research Reports

2025: Alphablocks Research Lab: 2025 Report

2024: Alphablocks Research Lab: 2024 Report

2023: Alphablocks Research Lab: 2023 Report

Publications

  • Tsomokos, D. I., Papachristou, E., & Flouri, E. (2025). Early-life family relationships, children’s mental health trajectories, and their prospective associations with adolescent distrust and social isolation. International Journal of Behavioral Development.
    Accepted for publication (in press, 2026).
  • Flouri E, Papachristou E, Tsomokos DI (2025) Early home environments and reward-processing in adolescence: The unique role of harsh parenting. Child Abuse and Neglect, 169 (1), November 2025, 107699. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107699
  • Tsomokos, D.I. Adolescent social media use and psychiatric outcomes: a longitudinal mediation analysis via interpersonal distrust, sleep, and self-image. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-025-02999-w // UCL News Story // MEDIA INTEREST
  • Rakesh, D., Tsomokos, D. I., Vargas, T., Pickett, K. E., & Patel, V. (2025). Macroeconomic income inequality, brain structure and function, and mental health. Nature Mental Health, 3, 1318–1330. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44220-025-00508-1 // GUARDIAN ARTICLE and MEDIA INTEREST
  • Tsomokos, D. I., Tiemeier, H., Slavich, G. M., & Rakesh, D. (2025). Social threat, neural connectivity, and adolescent mental health: a population-based longitudinal study. Psychological Medicine, 55, e275. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291725101384 // PsyPost ARTICLE
  • Tsomokos, D. I., & Flouri, E. (2025). From spatial to social competence: The association between spatial ability and prosocial behaviour in childhood. British Journal of Developmental Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjdp.70001
  • Alley J, Tsomokos DI, Mengelkoch S, Slavich GM. (2025). Childhood Maternal Warmth, Social Safety Schemas, and Adolescent Mental and Physical Health. JAMA Psychiatry. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2025.0815 // MEDIA INTEREST
  • Alley, J., Tsomokos, D. I., Mengelkoch, S., & Slavich, G. M. (2025). The role of social safety schemas in the persistence of mental health difficulties during adolescence. British Journal of Clinical Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjc.12555 // ARTICLE
  • Tsomokos, D.I. (2025) Embodied Cognition and the Structure of Personality: An exploratory study of longitudinal pathways from early psychomotor function. Journal of Personality. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.13011 // BLOG POST
  • Tsomokos, D.I., & Raviv, L. (2024) A bidirectional association between language development and prosocial behaviour in childhood: Evidence from a longitudinal birth cohort in the UK. Developmental Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001875 // BLOG POST
  • Tsomokos, D.I., Papachristou, E., Rakesh, D., & Flouri, E. (2024) Family poverty, neighborhood greenspace and perinatal outcomes. Archives of Disease in Childhood. https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2024-327349
  • Tsomokos, D. I., & Flouri, E. (2024). The impact of the indoor home environment on children’s prosocial behaviour. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 102405.  doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102405
  • Flouri, E., & Tsomokos, D. I. (2024). Feeling the distance: The relationship between emotion regulation and spatial ability in childhood. Development and Psychopathology. 2024:1-8. doi:10.1017/S0954579424001093 (open access) // BLOG POST
  • Tsomokos, D. I., Halstead, E., & Flouri, E. (2024). Chronotype and depression in adolescence: Results from a UK birth cohort study. JCPP Advances, e12245. doi.org/10.1002/jcv2.12245 // JCPP PODCAST
  • Tsomokos, D. I., & Slavich, G.M. (2024). Bullying fosters interpersonal distrust and degrades adolescent mental health as predicted by Social Safety Theory. Nature Mental Health, 328-336. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44220-024-00203-7 // MEDIA INTEREST
  • Tsomokos, D. I., & Dunbar, R.I.M. (2023). The role of religion in adolescent mental health: faith as a moderator of the relationship between distrust and depression. Journal of Religion, Brain & Behavior, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/2153599X.2023.2248230
  • Tsomokos, D. I., Ji, D., Mueller, M. A. E., Papachristou, E., & Flouri, E. (2023). The effect of urban greenspace on adolescent sleep patterns. Landscape Research.  doi.org/10.1080/01426397.2023.2241387 // UCL Institute of Education and Centre for Longitudinal Studies NEWS
  • Tsomokos, D. I., & Flouri, E. (2023). The role of social cognition in mental health trajectories from childhood to adolescence. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. doi.org/10.1007/s00787-023-02187-8
  • Tsomokos, D.I., & Flouri, E. (2023). Superior social cognitive abilities in childhood are associated with better reward-seeking strategies in adolescence: Evidence for a Social-Motivational Flexibility Model. 
    advaces.in/psychology. doi.org/10.56296/aip00002

Long-term impact of theory of mind & prosocial behaviour in children

Theory of mind is a crucial component of social cognition, which is fundamental for social competence, the ability to navigate the social world. These abilities are at the heart of what it takes for a child to grow into a well-adjusted person, with better life outcomes and fewer challenges to their well-being.

In this project, we examine the role of theory of mind and social competence in risk-taking behaviours later in life, and in mental health trajectories from childhood through to adolescence. You can read more about this project here: The long-term impact of early social cognition & Theory of Mind

Our research has also shown that young children’s language skills and their ability to be kind and helpful grow together throughout childhood. Studying over 11,000 children in the UK, we discovered that when they learn to express themselves better, they also tend to become more caring and supportive of others. Interestingly, the reverse is true as well: children who show more kindness and empathy often go on to develop stronger language skills. An important aspect of this connection is indeed Theory of Mind and better social competence – our ability to understand others’ emotions and thoughts better mediates the association between language ability and being more prosocial, and vice versa. For example, children who can talk more competently about their feelings are more likely to understand others’ perspectives, which then makes them more likely to act kindly towards others. And when children practice these social skills, they improve their language abilities, creating a positive cycle of growth.

Publications

Tsomokos, D.I., & Raviv, L. A bidirectional association between language development and prosocial behaviour in childhood: Evidence from a longitudinal birth cohort in the UK. Developmental Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001875 

Tsomokos, D. I. & Flouri, E.: Superior social cognitive abilities in childhood are associated with better reward-seeking strategies in adolescence: evidence for a Social-Motivational Flexibility Model. advances.in/psychology, 1(1), 1-19, https://doi.org/10.56296/aip00002

Tsomokos, D. I. & Flouri, E.: The role of social cognition in mental health trajectories from childhood to adolescence. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-023-02187-8

Sleep, greenspace & the home environment: impact on youth development

The role of sleep and chronotype has been recognised as a major factor in human health and well-being. Recent findings suggest that children growing up in neighbourhoods with pollution, traffic and crime are at risk of adverse development and behavioural problems. On the other hand, access to green spaces has been linked to positive outcomes for children and adolescents, including improved cognitive function, reduced stress and anxiety, and greater physical activity.

In this project, we investigate how the built environment, green and blue spaces, air pollution, and related factors affect childhood / adolescent health and behaviour, for instance, sleep patterns.

Publications

D. I. Tsomokos, Dongying Ji , Marie A. E. Mueller , Efstathios Papachristou & Eirini Flouri: The effect of urban greenspace on adolescent sleep patterns, Landscape Research (2023) 1-15, https://doi.org/10.1080/01426397.2023.2241387

Tsomokos, D.I., Papachristou, E., Rakesh, D., & Flouri, E. Family poverty, neighborhood greenspace and perinatal outcomes. Archives of Disease in Childhood. https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2024-327349

Tsomokos, D. I., & Flouri, E. (2024). The impact of the indoor home environment on children’s prosocial behaviour. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 102405.  doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102405