MACLab News

Dr. Dorsa Amir and Dr. Benjamin Pitt outline four qualitative pathways by which culture 'shapes' cognition in their article published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences. Utilizing this framework, they apply it to three long standing debated effects of culture on cognitive processes: (1) visual illusions, (2) large exact number abilities, and (3) spatial–numerical associations. Read more about the four pathways here!

Dr. Dorsa Amir has been selected as one of six recipients for the 2026 Association for Psychological Science's Janet Taylor Spence Award for Transformative Early Career Contributions! The Spence Award, named after APS' first president, is given to innovative scholars who reflect the best of cutting-edge research early in their career, and who embody the future directions of psychological science. Dr. Amir has been recognized for her efforts in reintegrating the study of cultu

Research led by Dr. Dorsa Amir and colleagues has recently been published in Science Advances ! This paper explores the development of cooperative behaviors, such as fairness, forgiveness, honesty, and trustworthiness, across five societies, while situating these behaviors within each society's normative environment. Read here ! For a quick overview of the paper's figures and findings, check out Dr. Amir's thread on BlueSky. Dr. Amir also had the opportunity to share her ins