Name:
Dr. Sarah Sweezy
Contact Information
Title:
Assistant Professor
Department:
Counseling & Psychology
Email Address:
Phone:
Office:
Matthews Hall Room 247 / Campus Box 5031
About
Dr. Sarah Sweezy is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Tennessee Tech University and a developmental psychologist studying child–robot interaction. She directs the Children and Technology (CHAT) Lab, where she and her students examine how children think about and engage with technology. Her work focuses on how children interpret robots’ minds, intentions, and social capacities—and how those beliefs shape the ways they learn from, trust, and interact with robots.
Dr. Sweezy earned her B.S. in Psychology from Tennessee Tech University in 2019 and completed her Ph.D. in Experimental (Developmental) Psychology at the University of Montana in 2025.
Her research in the CHAT Lab investigates how children make sense of robots—for example, whether they attribute mental states, agency, or sociality to them—and how these beliefs shape their learning and trust. For instance, if a child believes a robot can think on its own, does that make them more likely to trust what it says?
Through this work, Dr. Sweezy aims to better understand how children navigate a world where technology is increasingly present, intelligent, and social, and to clarify the developmental implications of this rapidly evolving landscape. At Tennessee Tech, she also teaches a range of developmental psychology courses, integrating research, hands-on learning, and real-world applications to help students think deeply about how children grow, learn, and interact with a changing technological world.
Education
Ph.D., Experimental Psychology, University of Montana, 2025
M.A., Experimental Psychology, University of Montana, 2023
B.S., Psychology, Tennessee Tech University, 2019