Rutgers Symposium on Learning III

Understanding People as Normative Agents: The Intersection of Morality and ‘Theory of Mind’

National Science Foundation Workshop

Friday, May 20th & Saturday 21st, 2005

This workshop explores how children come to understand norms, rules, and obligations: a social cognition of norms. What is source of the moral intuitions and values that underlie these norms?

How do moral judgments interact in development with the key intuitions and principles of ‘theory of mind?’ To what extent does development of the two domains rely on domain general versus domain specific learning?

Through a series of thematic sessions, participants will engage in inter-disciplinary discussions. The object is to set the stage for new research questions to emerge.

Workshop organizers: Charles Kalish (PI) (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Melanie Killen (Co-PI) (University of Maryland), Alan Leslie (Co-PI) (Rutgers University), Judith Smetana (Co-PI) (University of Rochester), and Cecilia Wainryb (Co-PI) (University of Utah).

A National Science Foundation Workshop, co-sponsored with the Rutgers Symposia on Learning series (Director: Alan Leslie) held at Rutgers University. We are grateful to the National Science Foundation for grant BCS-0425397 and to the following for additional sponsorship: The RU Faculty of Arts and Sciences, RU Center for Cognitive Science and Department of Psychology.

PARTICIPANTS Bill Arsenio, Yeshiva U. Jody Baird, Villanova U. Paul Bloom, Yale U. Michael Chandler, U. British Columbia Ori Friedman, Rutgers U. Paul Harris, Harvard U. Charles Helwig, U. Toronto Stacey Horn, U. Illinois Chuck Kalish, U. Wisconsin Melanie Killen, U. Maryland Karen Lagattuta, U.C. Davis Alan Leslie, Rutgers U. Larry Nucci, U. Illinois Judy Smetana, U. Rochester Holly Smith, Rutgers U. Eliot Turiel, U.C. Berkeley Cecilia Wainryb, U. Utah

Graduate student participants Craig Anderson, U. Wisconsin Sara Baker, Rutgers U. Beverly Brehl, U. Utah Marian Chen, Rutgers U. Alexandra Henning, U. Maryland Josh Knobe, Princeton U. Aaron Metzger, U. Rochester Jennifer Nado, Rutgers U. Karen Shanton, Rutgers U.

 

Program:

Friday, May 20, 2005 8:30 to 9:00 Continental breakfast9:00 to 9:30 Welcome remarks: FAS Dean Holly Smith 9:30 to 10:00 Introduction and Overview of the Day 10:00 to 10:15 Break 10:15 to 12:00 Participants’ introductions 12:00 to 1:15 Lunch Breakout Session I: The Psychological Underpinnings of Norms and Morality 1:15 to 1:30 Introduction: A.M. Leslie 1:30 to 2:15 Small group discussions 2:15 to 3:00 Group overview 3:00 to 3:15 Break Breakout Session II: The Moral Normative Bases for Understanding Judgments and Behavior 3:30 to 3:45 Introduction: M. Killen 3:45 to 4:30 Small group discussions 4:30 to 5:15 Group overview 5:30 to 6:00 Summary of Day 1 Dinner

Saturday, May 21, 2005 8:30 to 9:00 Continental breakfastBreakout Session III: The Role of Emotions in ToM and Morality 9:00 to 9:15 Introduction: J. Smetana 9:15 to 10:00 Small group discussions 10:00 to 10:45 Group overview 10:45 to 11:00 Break Breakout Session IV: Core Research Questions and Methodology 11:00 to 11:15 Introduction: C. Kalish 11:15 to 12:00 Small group discussions 12:00 to 12:45 Group overview 12:45 to 2:00 Lunch Breakout Session V: Future Directions and Collaborative Possibilities 2:00 to 2:30 Introduction: C. Wainryb 2:30 to 3:15 Small group discussions 3:15 to 4:15 Whole group overview of workshop 4:15 to 4:30 Break 4:30 to 5:30 Summary of points for NSF report