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Meltem Yucel

Postdoctoral Scholar
Psychology & Neuroscience

Overview


I’m a postdoctoral fellow funded by the NIH (NRSA; F32) at Duke University's Department of Psychology and Neuroscience. I received my Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology with a concentration in Quantitative Psychology at the University of Virginia in 2021.

I'm interested in the development of social cognition and morality. Using behavioral, eye-tracking, pupillometry, and social network analysis methods, I investigate how people, both young and old, make sense of different norms and those who violate them.

​I also deeply care about making Psychology more accessible. To diversify psychology, I founded the ​PsychResearchList to make Psychology more transparent and accessible.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


In the News


Published December 6, 2021
Open and transparent science could lead to unprecedented progress
Published August 6, 2021
The 21 Successful Turkish Scientists List (Kadının Gücünü Bir Kez Daha Gözler Önüne Seren Son Dönemlerin Başarılı 21 Türk Bilim İnsanı)
Published January 5, 2021
Center’s grants seed diverse research in the social sciences

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Recent Publications


Gossiping for a Reason - Revised Gossip Functions Questionnaire (RGFQ)

Journal Article Psychological Test Adaptation and Development · January 1, 2024 Introduction: According to one prominent theoretical model of gossip, we gossip for four key reasons: to keep track of our social networks, to strengthen bonds with others, to manage our reputation, and to entertain ourselves (Foster, 2004). Foster (2004) ... Full text Cite

Young children do not perceive distributional fairness as a moral norm.

Journal Article Developmental psychology · June 2022 Young children robustly distinguish between moral norms and conventional norms (Smetana, 1984; Yucel et al., 2020). In existing research, norms about the fair distribution of resources are by definition considered part of the moral domain; they are not dis ... Full text Cite
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Recent Grants


The Impact of Gossip on Children's Feelings of Belongingness

FellowshipPI-Fellow · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2023 - 2026

Religion, Normativity, and Self-regulation

ResearchPostdoctoral Associate · Awarded by University of California - Riverside · 2020 - 2025

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