EDHD 850: Social Cognition and Moral Development
Tuesdays, 1:00pm to 3:45 pm, Spring, 2026
LSC room 2130
Prof. Melanie Killen
Social cognition and moral judgment are complex social abilities that form the foundations of human interactions and development. How do children learn to allocate resources, resolve interpersonal and intergroup conflicts, include others in group contexts, and refrain from engaging in aggressive behavior towards others? Included in this seminar will be a focus on the emergence of moral judgment, fairness, equality, others’ intentions, group identity, intergroup attitudes, bias, in-group and outgroup dynamics, theory of mind, and mental state knowledge. We will also include new research on the ethics of A.I., as well as A.I. tools powered to improve classroom climates.
Understanding how parents, teachers, and adults prepare children to navigate the social world is also necessary for addressing these questions. These are fundamental questions about human behavior that have been studied by developmental scientists, educational researchers, criminologists, philosophers, anthropologists, and sociologists. To address these issues, we will read articles that focus on the social, moral, and cognitive aspects of human development that have implications for education and creating positive change. Foundational and current empirical work will form the basis for class discussions and presentations. This is primarily a reading seminar. Written assignments will reflect the papers students are currently working on in their graduate training program.
This seminar is open to graduate students in human development, counseling, school psychology, developmental psychology, criminology, family science, public health, philosophy, and related disciplines. Please contact Melanie Killen, mkillen@umd.edu for questions.