Below, you’ll find a summary of some of our current studies

How does virtuous behavior develop across ages and across cultures?

This study investigates the development of positive social preferences — or virtues — across childhood. In addition to the United States, this study will also take place in India, Ecuador, Peru, Uganda, and Canada, enabling us to explore behavioral development across cultures.

How do children solve social dilemmas in naturalistic environments?

Children routinely confront social dilemmas, situations in which self-interest is at odds with the interests of the group. In a series of experiments that take place in day camps and schools, we explore how children solve social dilemmas in naturalistic (i.e., real-life) contexts, using adapted versions of well-established group paradigms (e.g., the Public Goods Game). Specifically, we investigate how children resolve social dilemmas in two frequent competitive situations, namely within-group context (i.e., with “own” team members) and between-group context (i.e., with “other” team members).

Do children view resource scarcity as affecting other’s behavior?

Do children view resource scarcity as affecting others' behavior? This study explores how children think others will feel and behave under conditions of having less or more of desired objects, like toys. If our predictions hold, children should view changes in resource wealth as less impactful to individuals with more resources compared to individuals with fewer resources.