Children's play (particularly age-mixed play); self-directed learning; evolutionary psychology, developmental psychology, educational psychology, general psychology, role of play in human biological and cultural evolution.
Professor Gray joined the faculty in the Fall of 1972 and taught regularly until the Spring of 2002. He is author of Psychology, an introductory textbook now in its sixth edition, and, most recently, Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life. His past research had to do with basic mammalian motivational mechanisms, and his present research has to do with children's play and its educative value. Professor Gray is now retired from regular teaching, but continues to conduct and publish research and give guest lectures.
