Biography

Melanie Killen, Ph.D. (University of California, Berkeley) is Professor of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, Professor of Psychology (Affiliate), and Associate Director, Center for Children, Relationships, and Culture, at the University of Maryland. She is author of Children and Social Exclusion: Morality, Prejudice and Group Identity with Adam Rutland, co-editor of Social Development in Childhood and Adolescence: A Contemporary Reader with Robert Coplan, and co-editor of the Handbook of Moral Development with Judi Smetana. Dr. Killen has received funding from NSF and NICHD for her research on social exclusion, moral reasoning, and intergroup attitudes. Dr. Killen served as Associate Editor for Child Development, on the Governing Council of SRCD, and is a Fellow of APS, APA, and SPSSI. Commissioned by Anderson Cooper, Dr. Killen’s team conducted a study which aired on CNN AC360, “Kids on Race: The Hidden Picture”, and won an Emmy Award for Outstanding News and Analysis, 2013.

2-099 - Morality: Origins, Context, and Development

Session Type: Invited Address

Integrative Statement

Morality is fundamental to social life, serving to provide a core set of principles and norms for how individuals interact, communicate, and live together. In this talk, I provide a brief overview of the field and then a focused portrayal of research on how morality emerges, functions, develops, and changes in children’s and adolescents’ lives. This will include research on 1) morality and intentionality, including mental state knowledge, 2) morality and intergroup attitudes, including social exclusion, group identity, and prejudice, and 3) morality in the context of resource allocation, others’ welfare, and social justice. A complex task for individuals is to coordinate conflicting social concerns when making morally relevant decisions, particularly when biases are often pervasive and implicit. To have a broader impact it is essential to understand the developmental origins of this process. Ultimately, the goals of this research are to promote children’s well-being and healthy social development.

Sub Unit

• SRCD Biennial Meeting

Chair

• Judith G Smetana, University of Rochester

Speaker

• Melanie A. Killen, University of Maryland, College Park