Research Areas
A number of studies in the MACLab are focused on the development of moral cognition, across the lifespan and across cultures.
Moral
Development
Select Publications:
Jordan, Amir, & Bloom (2016) Are empathy and concern psychologically distinct? Emotion.
Amir et al. (2021) Children are more forgiving of accidental harms across development. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology.
How do we learn to cooperate? These studies focus on examining early roots of cooperative behavior and its manifestations across cultures.
The Emergence
of Cooperation
Select Publications:
Amir et al. (2018) Trustworthiness is distinct from generosity in children. Dev Psych.
Amir et al. (2023) Computational signatures of inequity aversion in children across seven societies. JEP:Gen.
One research avenue at the MACLab concerns how heuristics emerge & change across the lifespan, like those related to risk, uncertainty, and exploration.
The Development
of Heuristics
Select Publications:
Amir et al. (2019) The developmental origins of risk and time preferences across diverse populations. JEP:Gen.
Amir et al. (2018) The influence of childhood socioeconomic status on risk, time, and social preferences. JESP.
Which cognitive processes are or are not influenced by culture? This area focuses on mapping the cultural penetrability of cognitive processes.
Cultural Influence
on Cognition
Select Publications:
Amir et al. (in prep) Inattentional blindness as a cognitive regularity: Evidence from twelve populations on six continents.
Amir & Firestone. (2025). Is Visual Perception WEIRD? The Müller-Lyer Illusion and the Cultural Byproduct Hypothesis. Psychological Review.