Amrisha Vaish

Amrisha Vaish is the Pamela Feinour Edmonds and Franklin S. Edmonds, Jr. Discovery Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Virginia, where she conducts research on the development of moral emotions and behaviors in children. She is affiliated with the Early Social Development Lab and the Child Development Laboratories at UVA.

Research Interests: Dr. Vaish's work centers on the emergence of moral emotions such as sympathy, guilt, and forgiveness in early childhood, as well as prosocial behaviors like helping and sharing. She investigates how children evaluate moral actions and enforce norms, and more recently has explored uncooperative behaviors such as cheating and reputation management. Her research also includes infant social referencing, theory of mind development, and the negativity bias in emotional development.

Recent Research Trends: Her recent publications focus on gratitude, fairness perception, upstream reciprocity, and forgiveness in young children, published in leading journals including Developmental Psychology, Child Development, and Emotion Review. These works reflect a consistent emphasis on experimental approaches to understanding moral development and social cooperation.

Scientific Awards:

• All-University Teaching Award (2019)
• Janet Taylor Spence Award for Transformative Early Career Contributions, Association for Psychological Science (2018)
• Rising Star, Association for Psychological Science (2015)
• Division 7 Dissertation Award, American Psychological Association (2012)
• Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award, Society for Research in Child Development (2011)

Advising and Grants: While specific advisees and grant details are not listed, Dr. Vaish leads an active research program and mentors students through her lab. Her recognition with early career and teaching awards suggests strong engagement in both research mentorship and educational excellence.

Labs and Teams: Dr. Vaish directs the Early Social Development Lab and is part of the Child Development Laboratories at the University of Virginia, where she conducts experimental studies with infants and young children to understand the foundations of human morality and cooperation.