Ongoing Work
Children's budding relations with nature
How do children learn to think about nature? How can we foster early connections to nature in children? What mechanisms drive children's early perceptions of local and exotic animals? As children grow, their attitudes towards animals, plants and the environment can shift dramatically. I research how cultural values and beliefs influence children’s perceptions of their local flora and fauna, and the animals they learn about through education and media. This research seeks to identify mechanisms that help fortify a connection with nature from an early age. The development of moral concern How do we decide who we care about? When do children understand the obligations associated with caring for something? How do children allocate resources amongst the entities they care about? I am interested in understanding how and when children develop moral concern - a sense that other entities are worthy of personal care or concern. To explore this, I study when and to whom children ascribe moral worth: between different people, animals, plants and objects. Learning from and with others When is it adaptive for children to learn from adults? When and in what ways can children think creatively? I am interested in understanding how children learn to navigate their complex social and material worlds. To do this, I study how children learn from and with others. I use a cross-cultural perspective to identify the factors that encourage more independent learning across various cultural settings. I focus on children's problem-solving, innovation and tool use across diverse cultural settings. |