Moral Psychology Lab University of Canterbury

Andrew Vonasch | Lab Director

Andrews research applies experimental and other psychological methods to address philosophical topics pertaining to human agency, rationality, and morality. His main interest currently is moral rationality: the idea that being rational requires moral character. People survive via cooperation, so they need to 1) demonstrate to others that they are good partners by being moral and 2) be vigilant in ensuring that others are moral. 

Dwain Allan | Group Member

Dr. Dwain Allan is a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Canterbury and an expert on human factors and behaviour, performance, technology influence, social robotics, design, and the psychological drivers that underpin the perceptions we have and the actions we take. While known for his work with cutting-edge technology, Dr. Allan's research explores a variety of issues, such as how we deal with stress, how we are persuaded to buy products and services, what makes us receptive to certain messages, and whether or not we perform to the best of our capabilities, to name a few.

Scott Danielson | Group Member

Scotts research interests are the psychology of ethical decisions and ideology, specifically where both of these can go wrong. Research topics include bias when judging the ethics of collateral damage in wartime, how social signaling can deepen ideological rifts, and how ideological extremists may use different kinds of moral language than their less extreme counterparts. 

The Moral Saurus | Chief Dinosaur Science Communicator

Moral Saurus is a dinosaur with a taste for scientific knowledge...and scientists

Find out more about Andy and the Moral Saurus here