Our
Research
In the Culture & Minds Lab, we explore how children learn, grow, and connect with others — and how culture shapes their development. Our research looks at how kids from different communities learn new skills, understand social rules, and build relationships.
Our goal is to better understand how children’s cultural backgrounds shape their experiences — and how we can use this knowledge to create more inclusive, supportive learning environments. We love working with families, schools, museums, and community partners to make this research possible!
If you’d like to learn more or get involved, we’d love to hear from you.
01
How children learn from others
We study how kids use imitation, innovation, creativity, and conformity to learn from people around them.
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Selected Publications:
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Wen et al. (2019). Smart conformists: Children and adolescents associate conformity with intelligence early across cultures. Child Development.
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Wen, Clegg, et al. (in prep). Cultural variation in first- versus third-party attention and imitation.
02
The power of ritual
We explore how shared rituals and cultural practices shape children’s behavior, cooperation, and sense of belonging. Rituals help strengthen social bonds and teach children important values and traditions.
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Selected Publications:
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Wen et al. (2020). Watch me, watch you: Ritual participation increases in-group displays and out-group monitoring in children. Phil Trans B.
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Wen et al. (2016). Ritual increases children’s affiliation with in-group members. EHB.​
03
Promoting cooperation and inclusion in education
We explore how rituals can be integrated into educational settings to promote supportive and effective learning environments. Our work aims to apply these insights through knowledge exchange and intervention, developing programs focused on antibullying, antiracism, and the promotion of cooperative group behavior.
04
Representation in children’s books
We examine how representation and personalization in children’s literature impact children’s sense of empowerment and self-worth, exploring how inclusive stories shape identity and confidence.
05
Best practices for cross-cultural research
We develop and refine research methods that are sensitive to cultural differences, ensuring that studies with children from diverse backgrounds are respectful, accurate, and meaningful.
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Selected Publications:
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Wen et al. (2025). Construct validity in cross-cultural, developmental research: Challenges and strategies for improvement. EHS.
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Davis...Wen et al. (2025). Studying childhood learning across cultures. A field guide to doing cross-cultural research on childhood learning.