Overview
I'm a psychologist studying how culture shapes the developing mind.
My research program explores cognitive development through an interdisciplinary perspective — bringing together tools from psychology, anthropology, and behavioral economics — to better understand human behavioral diversity. My approach is built upon two central pillars: (1) cross-cultural fieldwork to explore the breadth of human behavior and its regularities, and (2) laboratory experiments to elucidate the cognitive mechanisms underlying observed patterns. I regularly engage in research collaborations with researchers and participants across five continents.
I am particularly interested in the ontogeny of judgments, preferences, and decision-making in children and adults of diverse societies. Most recently, I have focused my research on the development of cooperative behaviors across age and cultures and the role that norms can play in guiding social behavior.
My research program explores cognitive development through an interdisciplinary perspective — bringing together tools from psychology, anthropology, and behavioral economics — to better understand human behavioral diversity. My approach is built upon two central pillars: (1) cross-cultural fieldwork to explore the breadth of human behavior and its regularities, and (2) laboratory experiments to elucidate the cognitive mechanisms underlying observed patterns. I regularly engage in research collaborations with researchers and participants across five continents.
I am particularly interested in the ontogeny of judgments, preferences, and decision-making in children and adults of diverse societies. Most recently, I have focused my research on the development of cooperative behaviors across age and cultures and the role that norms can play in guiding social behavior.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Assistant Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience
·
2024 - Present
Psychology & Neuroscience,
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Recent Publications
Construct validity in cross-cultural, developmental research: Challenges and strategies for improvement
Journal Article Evolutionary Human Sciences · January 1, 2025 The recent expansion of cross-cultural research in the social sciences has led to increased discourse on methodological issues involved when studying culturally diverse populations. However, discussions have largely overlooked the challenges of construct v ... Full text CiteChildren as agents of cultural adaptation.
Journal Article The Behavioral and brain sciences · December 2024 The human capacity for culture is a key determinant of our success as a species. While much work has examined adults' abilities to create and transmit cultural knowledge, relatively less work has focused on the role of children (approx. 3-17 years) in this ... Full text CiteRecalling experiences of scarcity reduces children's generosity relative to recalling abundance.
Journal Article Journal of experimental child psychology · July 2024 Does a sense of having less or more than what one needs affect one's generosity? The question of how resource access influences prosocial behavior has received much attention in studies with adults but has produced conflicting findings. To better understan ... Full text CiteEducation, Training & Certifications
Yale University ·
2018
Ph.D.
University of California, Los Angeles ·
2012
B.S.