Research Interests

 

I am interested in children's moral development, as defined within the framework of social domain theory. Specifically, I am interested in the developmental processes that lead children to view moral concepts pertaining to harm as different from social-conventional norms concerning authority and customs. I'm also interested in how developments in children's understanding of themselves and others (including others' mental states) influence how they approach and evaluate complex situations involving moral concerns. For instance, a current study in our lab is exploring how shifts in children's understanding of motives and intentions influences their judgments of "prosocial" moral transgressions, or harmful actions aimed at stopping/preventing greater future harm. Finally, I'm interested in the intersections between morality, digital media, and adolescents' and young adults' pursuits for autonomy and personal jurisdiction.

 

Publications/Manuscripts

Jambon, M., & Smetana, J. (in press). College students' evaluations of illegal music downloading. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology.

Smetana, J., Jambon, M., Conry-Murray, C., & Sturge-Apple, M. (in press). Reciprocal associations between young children's developing moral judgments and theory of mind. Developmental Psychology.

 

Smetana, J., Rote, W., Jambon, M., Tasopoulos-Chan, M., Villalobos, M., & Comer, J. (in press). Developmental changes and individual differences in young children's moral judgments. Child Development.

 

Presentations

 

Jambon, M., & Smetana, J. (2011, March). Links between theory of mind understanding and preschoolers' moral judgments of psychological harm. Poster presented at the Society for Research in Child Development's Biennial Meeting in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

 

Jambon, M. (2010, August).  Cyberbullying, digital media, and moral development in adolescence.  Invited talk delivered at the Caledonia-Mumford Central School District, Caledonia, NY.

 

Jambon, M., & Smetana, J. (2010, March).  College students' evaluations of illegal music downloading.  Poster presented at the Society for Research on Adolescence's Biennial Meeting in Philadelphia, PA.

 

Laird, R.D., Marrero, M.D., Jambon, M.M. (2007, March). Authority beliefs and delinquent behavior: Are they related, and if so, through what processes? Paper presented at the Society for Research in Child Development's Biennial Meeting in Boston, MA.

 

Teaching

 

Instructor:

 

Adolescent Development, Summer 2010; Spring, 2011; Summer, 2011.

 

Teaching Assistant:

 

Social and Emotional Development, Fall 2007, 2010, 1011

Adolescent Development, Spring 2010, 2011

Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Fall 2009

Introduction to Psychology, Spring 2009

Relationship Processes and Emotions, Fall, 2008

Biopsychology of Social and Clinical Behaviors, Spring 2008