Research Areas
How do humans learn to be good and to work together? We examine the roots of moral cognition and cooperation across development and cultures.
Moral Development
& Cooperation
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.
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.
Culture is not just something that shapes us; it is something we actively create. We study how individuals, and especially children, generate, transmit, and transform cultural practices and norms.
How Minds
Produce Culture
Select Publications:
Lew-Levy & Amir (2024) Children as agents of cultural adaptation. BBS.
Boger & Amir (in prep) The cognitive and social origins of randomization devices.
How do minds navigate uncertainty? We examine how people explore and innovate, and how this changes across development and cultures.
Exploration &
Innovation
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.
Bainbridge et al. (in prep) The development of randomization behavior in strategic contexts.
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.
Amir & Pitt (2026). What does it mean for culture to 'shape' cognition? TiCS.