معرفی
Markus Paulus is a Professor of Developmental Psychology and Educational Psychology of Early Childhood at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, where he has held a professorship since 2013. His research focuses on the development of social understanding, particularly how humans come to recognize that others have individual goals, desires, and beliefs different from their own. He investigates the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying social cognition and how these capacities develop from early childhood through adulthood.
Paulus's research interests center on the development of social understanding, empathy, morality, and prosocial behavior in early childhood. His work examines how children develop the ability to understand others' mental states, how this relates to their own action capabilities, and how neurocognitive mechanisms support the emergence of prosocial behaviors like helping, sharing, and comforting. He is particularly interested in the interplay between action experience and inferential reasoning in social understanding.
Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on moral development, with particular attention to children's moral self-concept, resource allocation, and normative understanding. His work frequently examines how children develop concepts of fairness, justice, and prosocial behavior, often using cross-cultural comparisons and neurocognitive methods. A significant portion of his recent work explores the relationship between moral identity and behavior in early childhood.
- 2013 George Butterworth Young Scientist Award of the European Association for Developmental Psychology (EADP)
- 2016 Distinguished Early Career Award, International Conference on Infant Studies (ICIS)
- 2017 Understanding Human Cognition Scholar Award, James S. McDonnell Foundation
Professor Paulus has supervised numerous students, including current GSN student Nina-Alisa Hinz. His research has been supported by prestigious funding sources, including the James S. McDonnell Foundation. In the 2024-2025 academic year, he is leading a CAS Research Group on the Ontogeny of Normativity, investigating how normative attitudes emerge during human development. His work bridges multiple disciplines, connecting developmental psychology with neuroscience, education, and moral philosophy to understand the foundations of human social cognition.
