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Matti Wilks

@mattiwilks.bsky.social
506 followers 340 following 16 posts

Reader (Associate Prof) in Psychology at the University of Edinburgh. Interested in morality and related things.

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Matti Wilks @mattiwilks.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
Our recent paper discussing why children might care more about animals. A joy to write with @lmcguire.bsky.social @nadirafaber.bsky.social Jared Piazza and Katja Liebal. academic.oup.com/cdpers/advan...
academic.oup.com
The development of humans' moral views of other animals
Abstract. Humans' moral views of animals vary in important ways across development. In many cases, adults display anthropocentric moral judgments that rela
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Matti Wilks @mattiwilks.bsky.social · 04/08/2025
Earlier today I saw @robinince.bsky.social at Fringe. Such a nice change of pace to see a show focused on awe and joy and celebrating wonderful people. And, of course, books! www.edfringe.com/tickets/what...
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Matti Wilks @mattiwilks.bsky.social · 04/08/2025
Recent interview on Knowing Animals w @joshmilburn.bsky.social. We discuss my new paper on children's moral circles, coauthored w @juliamarshall.bsky.social @karrineldner.bsky.social @luciuscaviola.bsky.social Podcast: knowinganimals.libsyn.com/episode-240-... Paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
knowinganimals.libsyn.com
Knowing Animals: Episode 240: Children's moral circles with Matti Wilks
Dr Matti Wilks is a social and developmental psychologist who is a reader in psychology at the University of Edinburgh. Her work explores people’s moral motivation and actions. This includes lots of w...
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Matti Wilks @mattiwilks.bsky.social · 25/07/2025
Very late to the party but 3 weeks ago we hosted the @phair-society.bsky.social conference here in Edinburgh. What an amazing few days catching up with colleagues, learning about new research, and talking all things animal advocacy 🐷🐶 #phair2025
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The Mind & Morality Lab @ Brown University @mindandmoralitylab.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
🚨We're hiring! The Mind & Morality Lab is seeking a Lab Manager to start this September. Excited about research on social cognitive development? Apply here: forms.gle/4rKXD2x1vmkD.... Learn more about us: sites.brown.edu/mindmorality.... ⏳ We’re reviewing applications on a rolling basis—apply early!
docs.google.com
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Nick Byrd, Ph.D. @byrdnick.com · 26/06/2025
What beings are in your #moralCircle? The 1st keynote by @mattiwilks.bsky.social reported that - kids, effective altruists (EAs), and vegetarians showed less #speciesism, #anthropocentrism - EAs performed better on cognitive tests Follow Dr. Wilks on #gScholar: scholar.google.com/citations?us...
"Children Prioritize Humans Over Animals Less Than Adults Do"
Matti Wilks, Lucius Caviola, Guy Kahane, and Paul Bloom
https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797620960398"Does Distance Matter? How Physical and Social Distance Shape Our Perceived Obligations to Others"
Julia Marshall, Matti Wilks
Open Mind (2024) 8: 511–534.
https://doi.org/10.1162/opmi_a_00138Recap: The moral circle across development
Children appear to be more morally expansive than adults
Non-human animals, physically and socially distant others artificial intelligence
Why are children's moral circles more expansive?
What drives the contraction?Recap: Unusually altruistic groups
Differences in moral judgements for GWWC and vegetarians
GWWC pledgers also differ on thinking style
Few other differences for vegetarians (non-moral)
What drives these differences?
Where else might we find them?
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Matti Wilks @mattiwilks.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
It's just one month until the @phair-society.bsky.social Animal Advocacy Conference in Edinburgh! I caught up with @marikasbell.bsky.social and Luke McGuire to talk all things conference on the Deal with Animals Podcast! www.thedealwithanimals.com/post/what-sp... phair2025.co.uk
thedealwithanimals.com
What Sparks Change in Our View of Animals? PHAIR 2025 with Dr. Matti Wilks and Dr Luke McGuire
This discussion reiterates the critical intersection where psychology meets animal advocacy. This knowledge is not just for academics but for anyone eager to contribute to a world where compassion ext...
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Matti Wilks @mattiwilks.bsky.social · 28/05/2025
Very excited to finally have this in print! @juliamarshall.bsky.social @karrineldner.bsky.social @nathumbehav.nature.com
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Matti Wilks @mattiwilks.bsky.social · 23/05/2025
My student @jmepedersen.bsky.social is launching a new project and we are looking for pilot participants for a couple of short surveys. If you have a few minutes free: s1917169.ppls.ed.ac.uk/Pilot_1A/mai... s1917169.ppls.ed.ac.uk/Pilot_1B/mai... (Laptops/tablets preferable for formatting)
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Matti Wilks @mattiwilks.bsky.social · 26/02/2025
Last month I was lucky enough to join @briancoxtalks.bsky.social @robinince.bsky.social Jo Brand and Prof Steve Jones on the Infinite Monkey Cage to chat about altruism. Definitely a career highlight! Link below: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
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hannah @hannahkateboast.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
Worth reading this alongside @ucuedinburgh.bsky.social's analysis of our finances, which paints a rather different picture, highlighting financial mismanagement: www.ucuedinburgh.org.uk/blog/3fzpaa5...
ucuedinburgh.org.uk
No Compulsory Redundancies at The University Of Edinburgh! — UCU Edinburgh
Management Is Manufacturing a ‘Financial Crisis’ to Impose Staff Cuts
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School of PPLS at The University of Edinburgh @schoolofppls.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
How selfish are we really? Why organisms help one another? How has society necessitated altruism? Listen as PPLS Psychology lecturer @mattiwilks.bsky.social joins @profbriancox.bsky.social, @robinince.bsky.social, Jo Brand and Steve Jones from University College London. Listen here: edin.ac/4kc8txo
edin.ac
The Infinite Monkey Cage - Series 32 - How selfish are we really? - Jo Brand, Matti Wilks and Steve Jones - BBC Sounds
Brian Cox and Robin Ince are on their best behaviour as they explore altruism.
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B&W Thornton of Stratford-upon-Avon @bwthornton.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
The Infinite Monkey Cage How selfish are we really? - Jo Brand, @mattiwilks.bsky.social and Steve Jones Thursday 11:00 BBC Radio 4 @profbriancox.bsky.social and @robinince.bsky.social are on their best behaviour as they explore altruism. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
bbc.co.uk
BBC Radio 4 - The Infinite Monkey Cage, Series 32, How selfish are we really? - Jo Brand, Matti Wilks and Steve Jones
Brian Cox and Robin Ince are on their best behaviour as they explore altruism.
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Stanford CISAC @stanfordcisac.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
Next week: "What Have Survey Experiments Taught Us About Decisions to Use Nuclear Weapons?" with Rose McDermott, @pslovic.bsky.social and Sharon Weiner. RSVP here⤵️ cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/events/what-...
cisac.fsi.stanford.edu
What Have Survey Experiments Taught Us About Decisions to Use Nuclear
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Brian D. Earp, PhD @briandavidearp.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
Reminder of the call for abstracts! Deadline approaching: Basel-Oxford-NUS Experimental Philosophical Bioethics (BioXPhi) Summit 2025 | hosted at the University of Basel, keynotes by Edmond Awad and Matti Wilks
buff.ly
Basel-Oxford-NUS BioXPhi Summit 2025 | Institute for Biomedical Ethics | University of Basel
Institute for Biomedical Ethics
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Matti Wilks @mattiwilks.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
We've extended submissions until February 6, just over a week left to submit to the @phair-society.bsky.social conference. Come and join us in Edinburgh, July 2-5. phair2025.co.uk
phair2025.co.uk
PHAIR 2025 – Society for the Psychology of Human-Animal Intergroup Relations
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Matti Wilks @mattiwilks.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
Just over a week left to submit to the 2025 PHAIR animal advocacy conference. Come hang out with us in Edinburgh! @phair-society.bsky.social Phair2025.co.uk
phair2025.co.uk
PHAIR 2025 – Society for the Psychology of Human-Animal Intergroup Relations
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PHAIR @phair-society.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
Welcome to the Society for the Psychology of Human Animal Intergroup Relations (PHAIR) BlueSky page! 💙 Here we aim to advance and promote scientific research on moral and social psychology, diet and health, human-animal relationships, sustainability and environmental psychology. 🌱 phairsociety.org
blogs.kent.ac.uk
Animal Advocacy Conference
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Matti Wilks @mattiwilks.bsky.social · 08/12/2024
As always, can strongly recommend applying for a postdoc with @paulbloomatyale.bsky.social 👇
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Not that other guy, that's for sure @neogliberal.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
Happy to release a pre-print 5 years in the making! "A two-wave longitudinal study of children’s prosocial behavior during Christmas." It's currently under review at Current Research in Behavioral Sciences. Watch this space. osf.io/preprints/os...
osf.io
OSF
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Geetanjali Basarkod🔸 @gbasarkod.bsky.social · 24/11/2024
Excited to share our new preprint! In a meta-analysis of 66 randomised controlled trials (9,978 students), we found that education is effective in improving students' ethical and moral outcomes. osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/xv536
Abstract of paper that is available through the shared link.
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Kenny Torrella @kennytorrella.bsky.social · 21/11/2024
This summer, a team of economists put out a paper analyzing what tens of thousands of households bought at the grocery store from 2005 to 2020. What they found caught my eye: Rates of vegetarian grocery purchasing is up by a lot, but so is meat purchasing: www.vox.com/future-perfe...
vox.com
Americans are eating less meat. And more meat. How?
The growing chasm in American meat consumption, explained.
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