Research Projects

*I co-developed two coding schemes and am now coding with my RA team

This study was part of a large cross-cultural project focusing on children's reasoning about the invisible and impossible. In this particular study, we explored how children in China talk to their parents about cases of sudden wealth, such as a child becoming suddenly rich, and how parents respond. I examined differences in frequency of speech types (e.g., descriptive picture talk), questions (e.g., explanation-seeking), and explanations (e.g., natural and supernatural) between religious and non-religious families in China. 

*My Undergraduate Senior Thesis Project

Although we tend to think of learning as happening in school, it is important to recognize that learning also happens outside of school. Children’s museums, particularly, are environments conducive to children’s informal learning. How does participating in an inquiry activity influence children's patterns of engagement when visiting museum exhibits? How does age play a role in this influence? Does children's cultural background play a role in how they engage with the exhibits?

*I assisted with data collection and transcription training

This is a large cross-cultural project that explores how children around the world develop beliefs that impact global health, international relations, and scientific learning. Examples of specific research questions are: How do children around the world acquire religious and supernatural concepts such as god(s), reincarnation, or evil eye? How do biases and stereotypes about social groups (associated with religion, race, ethnicity) affiliation form? etc. 

*I co-authored the paper

Research supports that children actively construct their understanding of God in early childhood, an understanding that incorporates affect-laden mental representations often referred to as god images. How does children of different religious affiliation vary in their association of positive and negative traits to God (e.g. does God comfort you when you are sad)? Does religious engagement influence children's certainty of their attribution of these traits?

Lee H.*, Marin A. B.*, Sun J., & Richert A. R. (*co-first authors) (2023, September) Religious Diversity in Children’s Relational Views of God. Religions: Special Issue: Religion and Child Development.

*I assisted with data collection 

What makes an action right or wrong? Does it make a difference whether the action was performed by human or God? In this study, we were interested in learning how children think about different actions that were performed by humans and God in stories. We were also intersted in how children think about whether or not God should follow any rules.