About the MAP Lab

The MAP Lab draws on constructivist and developmental systems theories to study socio-moral development in early and middle childhood. How do social experiences colour children’s beliefs about what is fair, right, and just? Why do kids differ in their experiences of emotions like sympathy and guilt? What role do cognitions and emotions play in the development of “positive” (e.g., prosociality) and “negative” (e.g., aggression) behaviors?  We address these questions using a range of quantitative and qualitative assessments such as interviews, questionnaires, and behavioral observations, as well as advanced statistical modeling techniques (e.g., latent variables, growth modeling, mixture modeling).