Meltem Yucel

Meltem Yucel is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Michigan State University, investigating how individuals across the lifespan perceive social norms and violations through interdisciplinary developmental, social, and cognitive lenses.

Her educational background includes:

• PhD in Psychology from the University of Virginia (2021)
• MA in Psychology from the University of Virginia (2017)
• BA in Psychology from Ozyegin University (2015)

Her research integrates evolutionary, affective, and cross-cultural perspectives to examine three core areas: moral/non-moral norm distinctions in children, group-based influences on moral judgments (including religious identity and immigration contexts), and developmental trajectories in responding to norm violators through condemnation, forgiveness, or gossip. Methodologically, she employs behavioral experiments, eye-tracking, pupillometry, and social network analysis.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• NIH NRSA F32 Postdoctoral Fellowship at Duke University

Dr. Yucel actively mentors future researchers, currently recruiting PhD students (applications due December 1), and champions accessibility through founding PsychResearchList. She directs the Moral Minds Lab, which explores cultural and cognitive foundations of moral reasoning using diverse methodological approaches to advance understanding of human cooperation and social cognition.