Elliot Turiel

Elliot Turiel is a Professor at the Berkeley School of Education, University of California, Berkeley, specializing in human development, moral reasoning, and social cognition. His work bridges psychology and education, focusing on children's understanding of authority, cultural influences on moral development, and ethical judgments.

Education:

• PhD in Psychology from Yale University, mentored by Lawrence Kohlberg

Research Focus: Turiel's lifelong studies explore how individuals distinguish moral concerns from social conventions, the role of culture in social development, and the evolution of moral reasoning from preschool years to adulthood. His theoretical framework, the Social Domain Theory, remains foundational in developmental psychology.

Scientific Awards:

• Guggenheim Fellow
• National Institute of Mental Health Fellow

Publications: His influential works include The Development of Social Knowledge: Morality and Convention (1983) and The Culture of Morality: Social Development, Context, and Conflict (2002), among others. His research spans experimental studies on moral judgment stages, social interactions in early childhood, and cross-cultural analyses of ethical reasoning.