What are the causes and consequences of religion?

Religions have been pervasive features of human societies—a fact that generally wasn't much questioned. Recently, researchers from across disciplines have made powerful progress in understanding why religions exist, why they look the way they do, and what societal and psychological consequences they have. My research explores these questions in the context of generosity, ethical behavior, prejudice, and happiness.

What are emotion expressions for?

Research on the nonverbal expression of emotion has played a prominent role throughout psychology during the past two decades—including an instrumental role in the development of contemporary evolutionary psychology. However, only limited research has focused on the evolutionary origins and functions of the emotional expressions themselves. These studies are producing a cohesive picture of the functional role that emotion expressions have evolved to play in social communication.

What are the psychological consequences of shifts in thinking about free will, dualism, and the mechanistic basis of human action?

New scientific knowledge has occasionally upended common human intuitions and folk theories of understanding how the world—and humans—work. Today, many are being forced to adjust to an understanding of human thought and behavior that is more biological and mechanical, and less metaphysical, than it traditionally has been. How does this shift in thinking affect our judgments about such fundamental constructs as personhood and moral responsibility?