LAB MANAGER
Aaron Cohen
[email protected]
Aaron is the lab manager at the SAMC Lab. He received his B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Physics from Haverford College. Aaron is interested in how children perceive the moral decisions and punishment of others. More specifically, he is interested in researching the role that race of both the target and the subject plays in the development of moral judgement.
[email protected]
Aaron is the lab manager at the SAMC Lab. He received his B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Physics from Haverford College. Aaron is interested in how children perceive the moral decisions and punishment of others. More specifically, he is interested in researching the role that race of both the target and the subject plays in the development of moral judgement.
GRADUATE STUDENTS
Sophie Charles
[email protected]
Sophie is a first-year doctoral student. She is interested in (1) how children think about the impact of societal factors on others’ moral behavior and choices, (2) the psychological underpinnings of children’s views of the moral behavior of others, and (3) the intersection of children’s moral development and their views of others who differ from them (specifically marginalized others and those who have interacted with the justice system). Sophie is the SAMC Lab’s former lab coordinator, and holds a B.A. in Neuroscience & Behavior and a minor in Education Studies from Wesleyan University.
[email protected]
Sophie is a first-year doctoral student. She is interested in (1) how children think about the impact of societal factors on others’ moral behavior and choices, (2) the psychological underpinnings of children’s views of the moral behavior of others, and (3) the intersection of children’s moral development and their views of others who differ from them (specifically marginalized others and those who have interacted with the justice system). Sophie is the SAMC Lab’s former lab coordinator, and holds a B.A. in Neuroscience & Behavior and a minor in Education Studies from Wesleyan University.
Christian Mott
[email protected]
Christian is a second-year doctoral student working with Dr. Larisa Heiphetz. His research investigates how people learn moral and legal concepts, how they understand the actions of other agents, what punishments they think are appropriate, and how findings from psychology can be used to inform and improve legal practice. Christian holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Yale University and a J.D. from Yale Law School.
[email protected]
Christian is a second-year doctoral student working with Dr. Larisa Heiphetz. His research investigates how people learn moral and legal concepts, how they understand the actions of other agents, what punishments they think are appropriate, and how findings from psychology can be used to inform and improve legal practice. Christian holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Yale University and a J.D. from Yale Law School.
Daniel Yonas
[email protected]
Daniel Yonas is a third-year doctoral student whose interests lie in moral development. Specifically, how children acquire moral beliefs, how they perceive the actions of other moral agents, how moral reasoning translates to moral behavior and prosociality, and how these might change over the course of development. He also holds a B.A. in Psychology and a M.Ed in Educational Psychology from the University of Virginia.
[email protected]
Daniel Yonas is a third-year doctoral student whose interests lie in moral development. Specifically, how children acquire moral beliefs, how they perceive the actions of other moral agents, how moral reasoning translates to moral behavior and prosociality, and how these might change over the course of development. He also holds a B.A. in Psychology and a M.Ed in Educational Psychology from the University of Virginia.
RESEARCH ASSISTANTS
Julia Davis
Julia is a junior at Barnard College studying Psychology and Human Rights. She is interested in pursuing a career in social work and in studying the intersection of developmental psychology and social psychology. At the SAMC Lab, she is interested in learning more about how children make moral decisions and how different backgrounds and beliefs affect their perceptions of justice.
Ainsley Cunningham
Ainsley is a junior at Columbia College majoring in cognitive science. She is interested in exploring the intersection of psychology, philosophy, and religion, and how notions of justice vary culturally and historically. At the SAMC Lab, she hopes to learn more about how children develop moral constructs and beliefs, and how various factors come together to shape our moral judgement of both others and ourselves.
Jack Halverson
Jack is a psychology postbaccalaureate student at Columbia working as a research assistant at the SAMC Lab. He received a BA in History and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His primary research interests are related to the development and expression of sociocultural identities, especially those related to class, religion, and political ideology, as well as how these identities inform the choices people make in their lives. At the SAMC Lab, he is interested in learning more about how children’s moral decisions and frameworks influence other aspects of their social identities.
Amel Alrifai
Amel is a first-year master's student at Teachers College studying Cognitive Science in Education. She is interested in exploring the intersection between psychology and philosophy, with a focus on moral and religious cognition. At the SAMC Lab, she is interested in learning more about children's development of moral beliefs and understanding of religious concepts. Amel holds a B.S. in Psychological and Brain Sciences with a minor in Philosophy from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Lucia Kouri
Lucia is a sophomore at Barnard College studying psychology and working as a research assistant at the SAMC lab. She is interested in the intersection of developmental and social psychology, and specifically the mechanisms behind prosocial behavior. At the SAMC lab, she hopes to learn more about the relationship between moral judgments and prosocial behavior, and especially how those judgments might relate to in-group identity.
Simryn Molina
Simryn is a research assistant at the SAMC Lab. She is a second-year student at Columbia College and plans to major in Psychology with a concentration in Linguistics. She is interested in personality psychology, developmental psychology, and how the two fields intertwine. At the Social and Moral Cognition Lab, she is interested in learning more about children’s reasonings for making moral decisions and how they perceive others with differing morals.
Valentina Allegra
Valentina is a freshman at Columbia College majoring in neuroscience and public health. She is interested in exploring the intersection of neuroscience, psychology, and criminal justice, and she’s interested in how a child’s upbringing relates to their moral values. In her free time, she likes to read, play soccer, and walk around New York City.
Ilana Cohen
Ilana is a junior at Barnard College studying Psychology and Human Rights. She is interested in pursuing clinical psychology, and through her joint major explores how social factors influence development. She hopes to further study how different types of upbringings, such as religion and exposure to the criminal justice system, affect children's perception of punishment, views of self, and moral development. She spends her time outside of class and the SAMC Lab dancing, giving Barnard tours, and seeing Broadway shows.
RECENT LAB ALUMNI
* if you are an alum and would like to update or add your information, please e-mail Dr. Solomon
Carrie Lu, former research assistant; current Fellow in Psychology at Harvard
Young-eun Lee, former post-doctoral fellow; current post-doctoral scholar at MIT
Cheng Io Lo, former honors student; starting a Masters of Music Degree in Violin Performance at Juilliard in Fall 2023
Ariel Mosley, former post-doctoral fellow; current assistant professor at UC Davis
James Dunlea, former Ph.D. student; current VP of Behavioral Science at Healogix
Devyani Goel, former honors student; current Business Analyst at McKinsey & Co
Rahil Kamath, former research assistant; incoming Psy.D. student in Clinical Psychology at Rutgers University
Megan Goldring, former collaborator on projects looking at morality and conformity; current associate at McKinsey & Co
Ayse Payir, former post-doctoral researcher; current senior post-doctoral researcher at Boston University
Lindsay Goolsby, former research assistant; current Ph.D. student in Psychology at University of Denver
Nick Gauthier, former research assistant; current Bachelor of Philosophy student, Oxford University
Abby McLaughlin, former honors student; current Ph.D. student in Psychology at Boston College
* if you are an alum and would like to update or add your information, please e-mail Dr. Solomon
Carrie Lu, former research assistant; current Fellow in Psychology at Harvard
Young-eun Lee, former post-doctoral fellow; current post-doctoral scholar at MIT
Cheng Io Lo, former honors student; starting a Masters of Music Degree in Violin Performance at Juilliard in Fall 2023
Ariel Mosley, former post-doctoral fellow; current assistant professor at UC Davis
James Dunlea, former Ph.D. student; current VP of Behavioral Science at Healogix
Devyani Goel, former honors student; current Business Analyst at McKinsey & Co
Rahil Kamath, former research assistant; incoming Psy.D. student in Clinical Psychology at Rutgers University
Megan Goldring, former collaborator on projects looking at morality and conformity; current associate at McKinsey & Co
Ayse Payir, former post-doctoral researcher; current senior post-doctoral researcher at Boston University
Lindsay Goolsby, former research assistant; current Ph.D. student in Psychology at University of Denver
Nick Gauthier, former research assistant; current Bachelor of Philosophy student, Oxford University
Abby McLaughlin, former honors student; current Ph.D. student in Psychology at Boston College