Research
Here are some of the research topics I am excited about!
Testimony and Moral Judgments
How do children learn right from wrong? I argue that children’s moral development is a socially-attuned, interdependent endeavor (Li, & Koenig, 2023). In particular, testimony from other people plays a key role in the pathways through which early moral lessons become internalized. Moreover, children’s moral learning is influenced by the surrounding culture’s beliefs about what it means to be a good learner.
I’m interested in exploring whether children can distinguish between cases in which it is morally virtuous to actively seek guidance from others when making moral decisions, as opposed to situations where it is not. Relatedly, I am interested in exploring whether children value other's openness to acknowledging the limitations of their moral knowledges and revising their moral beliefs.
Interpersonal Trust and Collaborative Learning
What is unique about human communication is the social and interpersonal practices that influence decisions to trust. I am constructing and testing a new theoretical framework that there are two distinct mechanisms that guide children’s decision to trust: an epistemic appraisal of the evidence, and an interpersonal view of another person and her communication (Li, & Koenig, 2020; Li et al., 2023). I am interested in further exploring whether children appreciate the interpersonal or collaborative commitment that was made to them in testimonial exchanges.
Testimonial Injustice and Information Polarization
My work on interpersonal trust showcases children’s understanding of the joint commitments that speakers and listeners make to each other in conversational practices. But what happens if these commitments fall apart, when the listener is not upholding their responsibilities to respectfully consider the speaker and their claims? In this related line of work, I explore the systematic biases related to who children trust. I am interested in exploring children's understanding of cases of testimonial injustices (e.g., cases when individuals doubt and discredit certain speakers) due to personal or systematic prejudice. I am also interested in exploring children's understanding of echo chambers and polarization in communication within social group contexts.