Research Projects
Developing Inclusive Youth (DIY)
DIY is a school-based program designed to promote intergroup friendships and reduce prejudice and bias in childhood. The program involves a web-based curriculum tool, DIY, which is an animated, voice-over tool that depicts social exclusion scenarios which involve participants' decisions, evaluations, and attributions of emotions. A Teaching Inclusive Youth (TIY) component is also part of the program. Currently, the program is being evaluated with a randomized control trial (RCT) to test its effectiveness, funded by NSF and NIH.
Resource Allocation Decisions in the Context of Social Inequalities
Series of studies investigating children’s and adolescents’ decisions and reasoning about the allocation of limited resources on the basis of group disadvantaged status, with a focus on economic inequalities.
Gender Stereotypes, Resource Allocation, and Intergroup Contact
Young children’s developing conceptions of merit-based fairness, roles of intergroup contact and gender stereotypes in allocation decisions and reasoning.
Resource Allocation and Theory of Mind
How first and second order theory of mind relate to children’s judgments, reasoning, and decisions regarding resource allocation.
Social Inclusion and Exclusion in Peer Contexts: The Role of Race and Wealth Status
Children’s and adolescents’ evaluations of group inclusion and exclusion decisions on the basis of race and wealth status in peer contexts.
Claims to Resources and Mental State Knowledge
Children’s recognition of the roles of resource type and intentionality of recipient claims when allocating resources.
Children's Expectations about Friendship and Status
How children reason about friendship between peers of different social status in terms of wealth and popularity.
Moral Reasoning about Wealth Inequalities in Young Adults
How individual and structural sources of wealth are related to conceptions about wealth inequalities, acquisition of wealth, wealth constancy, and societal concepts of fairness.
Conceptions of Social Inequalities in Turkey - Dr. Buse Gönül
How children and adolescents evaluate social inequalities in peer and academic contexts.
Theory of Mind and Compromise
This study will examine how morally-relevant theory of mind contributes to children’s (5-11 years old) intra- and inter-group compromise and conflict resolution processes. (Jacquelyn Glidden, Jacob Glassman, & Melanie Killen)
Intergroup Peer Intimacy
This study will examine the role of intimacy in children’s (ages 6 to 12) expectations about peer and parental regarding interracial friendships. (Kate Luken Raz & Melanie Killen).
Children’s Evaluations about Teacher and Peer Bias in the Classroom Context
When and how children detect teacher racial biases in the classroom regarding recognition of academic work.
Intragroup Confrontations and Exclusion
How children and adolescents reason about their own and others' decisions to confront gender bias in a science context.