Michaela Gummerum
Biographic Data
| ID | 124465 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Michaela Gummerum |
| GIVEN NAMES | Michaela |
| FAMILY NAME | Gummerum |
| SIGNATURE | GUMMERUM M |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Plymouth |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-5746-8841 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 24 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 37 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 24 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2006 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Cross-cultural moral judgments and emotions in preschoolers
The study aims to investigate the effect of cultural background between Italy and Japan on 5-year-old children’s moral judgements and emotion attributions towards human and robot. The children watched videos drawn from classic ‘happy victimizer’ stories, in which the transgressors were either a child or a robot, violating rules against stealing or not sharing. We assessed the children’s attribution of emotions both to the transgressors and to the…
Exploring the Pathways to Psychological Well-Being
This study investigated the impact of parental sensitivity on emerging adults' psychological well-being. Using a moderated mediation model, it explored how adjustment (prosocial and aggressive behavior) mediates the association between perceived parental sensitivity and psychological well-being of emerging adults. Additionally, residential mobility was examined as a moderator in the relationship between parental sensitivity and adjustment. A samp…
What do I want to feel? Emotion goals in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood
Beliefs about emotion utility can influence context-sensitive emotion goals (i.e., desired emotional responses). Although key for emotion regulation, emotion goals have been overlooked in children and adolescents. In 2018–2019 results of Studies 1 and 2 showed that children (N = 192, Mage = 8.65, 47% girls, 96% White) were less motivated by and found anger less useful in confrontation than adolescents (N = 192, Mage = 12.96, 50% girls, 93% White)…
Coronashaming
Experiencing empathy for others has been linked to worsening others’ feelings against their wishes. These paternalistic empathic goals have been theorised to happen at the dyad level when an agent aims to worsen a target’s emotional state. They may also operate at a broader level when agents are third-party observers of COVID-19 lockdown rule violations. In these instances, agents can impact transgressors’ affect engaging in Coronashaming. In thr…
Conformity on moral, social conventional and decency issues in the United Kingdom and Kuwait
Theories in moral psychology have debated whether people's moral judgements are influenced by social processes, such as others' opinions, arguments, and actions. This research investigated conformity with moral, social conventional and decency issues in adults from the United Kingdom (Study 1, N = 50) and Kuwait (Study 2, N = 164). Participants first had to make individual judgements regarding moral, social conventional and decency transgressions…
The Robot Made Me Do It
Empirical evidence has shown that peer pressure can impact human risk-taking behavior. With robots becoming ever more present in a range of human settings, it is crucial to examine whether robots can have a similar impact. Using the balloon analogue risk task (BART), participants' risk-taking behavior was measured when alone, in the presence of a silent robot, or in the presence of a robot that actively encouraged risk-taking behavior. In the BAR…
Physical Presence during Moral Action in Immersive Virtual Reality
Research on morality has focused on differences in moral judgment and action. In this study, we investigated self-reported moral reasoning after a hypothetical moral dilemma was presented on paper, and moral reasoning after that very same dilemma was experienced in immersive virtual reality (IVR). We asked open-ended questions and used content analysis to determine moral reasoning in a sample of 107 participants. We found that participants referr…
Ideological and psychological predictors of Covid-19-related collective action, opinions, and health compliance across three nations
Until vaccines or treatments are widely available and used, behavioral change (e.g. social distancing) on an unparalleled collective scale is the chief way to curb the spread of COVID-19. Relying on ideology and collective action models as conceptual frameworks, in the present study the role of ideological and psychological factors in COVID-19-related opinions, health compliance behaviors, and collective action were examined in three countries. R…
When punishment is emotion‐driven
When do children, adolescents, and adults decide to punish fairness violations? Two studies with 9‐year‐old children, 13‐year‐old adolescents, and adults investigated whether the link between unfairness and punishment was mediated by negative emotional reactions (measured through galvanic skin responses and emotion ratings). Study 1 ( N = 117) examined this question in the context of second‐party punishment, where the punisher is a direct victim …
Virtual morality in the helping professions
Recent advances in virtual technologies have allowed the investigation of simulated moral actions in aversive moral dilemmas. Previous studies have employed diverse populations to explore these actions, with little research considering the significance of occupation on moral decision-making. For the first time, in this study we have investigated simulated moral actions in virtual reality made by professionally trained paramedics and fire service …
Internet Safety and the Silver Surfer
Currently, fewer older adults are online compared with younger generations. However, with many new initiatives aiming to significantly increase the number of older internet users, they will increasingly be exposed to potential victimisation from internet fraud, a fundamental issue affecting all adult internet users. Despite this, little research has examined online risk‐taking across the adult lifespan or adults' reasoning about risky online beha…
Costly third-party interventions
Risk Propensity Among Liberals and Conservatives
Political conservatives, compared to liberals, are commonly thought to be more threat-sensitive and risk-averse. Using an American sample of community adults ( n = 397), we investigated when conservatives and liberals might be risk-taking or risk-averse. Participants completed measures of political orientation, and perceptions of risk, expected benefits (EB) of risk, and risk-propensity, across five domains (financial, recreational, ethical, soci…
How do children share information in groups
Group decision making should be particularly beneficial when group members share unique information, because then a group can make a better decision than each group member alone. This study examined how elementary-school children share unique information during group decision making. Seventy-nine groups of 3 same-sex and same-age 7- and 9-year-old children (N = 237) had to decide which 1 of 2 hypothetical candidates should play the lead role in a…
Altruism Behind Bars
Over-the-counter cough and cold medicines for children
In 2008, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issued guidelines discouraging use of over-the-counter cough and cold medications in children under six. In light of these recommendations, this study assessed whether parents had heard of the MHRA recommendations and whether they trusted those recommendations. It also examined parental knowledge, perception and behaviours associated with over-the-counter cough and cold medic…
A comparison of the risk‐taking behaviors of prisoners and non‐prisoners
Do prisoners and non‐prisoners differ in their risk‐taking behavior and the domains where they take risks? Surprisingly little psychological research has addressed these questions, despite the well‐established paradigms and extensive literature on risk taking among non‐prison populations. To fill this gap, we used the Domain‐Specific Risk‐Taking Scale to compare 75 male prisoners' and 75 male non‐prisoners' risk‐taking behavior, risk perception, …
Preschoolers’ allocations in the dictator game
Children’s Moral Motivation, Sympathy, and Prosocial Behavior
Two studies investigated the role of children’s moral motivation and sympathy in prosocial behavior. Study 1 measured other-reported prosocial behavior and self- and other-reported sympathy. Moral motivation was assessed by emotion attributions and moral reasoning following hypothetical transgressions in a representative longitudinal sample of Swiss 6-year-old children (N = 1,273). Prosocial behavior increased with increasing sympathy, especially…
When Child Development Meets Economic Game Theory
Game theory has been one of the most prominent theories in the social sciences, influencing diverse academic disciplines such as anthropology, biology, economics, and political science. In recent years, economists have employed game theory to investigate behaviors relating to fairness, reciprocity, and trust. Surprisingly, this research has not found much resonance in psychological research on social development, even though the two disciplines s…
Moral Emotions and Moral Cognitions
Moral Psychology and Economic Game Theory
Recently, experimental economists have become increasingly interested in behaviors relating to morality, and one of the main tools for examining these issues has been game theory. Even though developmental psychologists have investigated similar topi
Children's and Adolescents’ Decisions about Sharing Money with Others
Two hundred and ninety‐four participants aged between 7 and 17 years of age were asked to share out money between themselves and another, imaginary group. Individual responses were recorded as well as responses after discussion in a group with two other participants. The distribution task took place in two different experimental conditions that either gave participants a free choice about how much to offer to the other group or involved making a …
A stage for the rational tail of the emotional dog
Ideological and psychological predictors of Covid-19-related collective action, opinions, and health compliance across three nations
Until vaccines or treatments are widely available and used, behavioral change (e.g. social distancing) on an unparalleled collective scale is the chief way to curb the spread of COVID-19. Relying on ideology and collective action models as conceptual frameworks, in the present study the role of ideological and psychological factors in COVID-19-related opinions, health compliance behaviors, and collective action were examined in three countries. R…
Costly third-party interventions
Preschoolers’ allocations in the dictator game
A stage for the rational tail of the emotional dog
A comparison of the risk‐taking behaviors of prisoners and non‐prisoners
Do prisoners and non‐prisoners differ in their risk‐taking behavior and the domains where they take risks? Surprisingly little psychological research has addressed these questions, despite the well‐established paradigms and extensive literature on risk taking among non‐prison populations. To fill this gap, we used the Domain‐Specific Risk‐Taking Scale to compare 75 male prisoners' and 75 male non‐prisoners' risk‐taking behavior, risk perception, …
Children's and Adolescents’ Decisions about Sharing Money with Others
Two hundred and ninety‐four participants aged between 7 and 17 years of age were asked to share out money between themselves and another, imaginary group. Individual responses were recorded as well as responses after discussion in a group with two other participants. The distribution task took place in two different experimental conditions that either gave participants a free choice about how much to offer to the other group or involved making a …
Internet Safety and the Silver Surfer
Currently, fewer older adults are online compared with younger generations. However, with many new initiatives aiming to significantly increase the number of older internet users, they will increasingly be exposed to potential victimisation from internet fraud, a fundamental issue affecting all adult internet users. Despite this, little research has examined online risk‐taking across the adult lifespan or adults' reasoning about risky online beha…
How do children share information in groups
Group decision making should be particularly beneficial when group members share unique information, because then a group can make a better decision than each group member alone. This study examined how elementary-school children share unique information during group decision making. Seventy-nine groups of 3 same-sex and same-age 7- and 9-year-old children (N = 237) had to decide which 1 of 2 hypothetical candidates should play the lead role in a…
Altruism Behind Bars
A stage for the rational tail of the emotional dog
When Child Development Meets Economic Game Theory
Game theory has been one of the most prominent theories in the social sciences, influencing diverse academic disciplines such as anthropology, biology, economics, and political science. In recent years, economists have employed game theory to investigate behaviors relating to fairness, reciprocity, and trust. Surprisingly, this research has not found much resonance in psychological research on social development, even though the two disciplines s…
Moral Emotions and Moral Cognitions
Moral Psychology and Economic Game Theory
Recently, experimental economists have become increasingly interested in behaviors relating to morality, and one of the main tools for examining these issues has been game theory. Even though developmental psychologists have investigated similar topi
Children's and Adolescents’ Decisions about Sharing Money with Others
Two hundred and ninety‐four participants aged between 7 and 17 years of age were asked to share out money between themselves and another, imaginary group. Individual responses were recorded as well as responses after discussion in a group with two other participants. The distribution task took place in two different experimental conditions that either gave participants a free choice about how much to offer to the other group or involved making a …
Children’s Moral Motivation, Sympathy, and Prosocial Behavior
Two studies investigated the role of children’s moral motivation and sympathy in prosocial behavior. Study 1 measured other-reported prosocial behavior and self- and other-reported sympathy. Moral motivation was assessed by emotion attributions and moral reasoning following hypothetical transgressions in a representative longitudinal sample of Swiss 6-year-old children (N = 1,273). Prosocial behavior increased with increasing sympathy, especially…
A comparison of the risk‐taking behaviors of prisoners and non‐prisoners
Do prisoners and non‐prisoners differ in their risk‐taking behavior and the domains where they take risks? Surprisingly little psychological research has addressed these questions, despite the well‐established paradigms and extensive literature on risk taking among non‐prison populations. To fill this gap, we used the Domain‐Specific Risk‐Taking Scale to compare 75 male prisoners' and 75 male non‐prisoners' risk‐taking behavior, risk perception, …
Preschoolers’ allocations in the dictator game
Over-the-counter cough and cold medicines for children
In 2008, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issued guidelines discouraging use of over-the-counter cough and cold medications in children under six. In light of these recommendations, this study assessed whether parents had heard of the MHRA recommendations and whether they trusted those recommendations. It also examined parental knowledge, perception and behaviours associated with over-the-counter cough and cold medic…
Altruism Behind Bars
Risk Propensity Among Liberals and Conservatives
Political conservatives, compared to liberals, are commonly thought to be more threat-sensitive and risk-averse. Using an American sample of community adults ( n = 397), we investigated when conservatives and liberals might be risk-taking or risk-averse. Participants completed measures of political orientation, and perceptions of risk, expected benefits (EB) of risk, and risk-propensity, across five domains (financial, recreational, ethical, soci…
How do children share information in groups
Group decision making should be particularly beneficial when group members share unique information, because then a group can make a better decision than each group member alone. This study examined how elementary-school children share unique information during group decision making. Seventy-nine groups of 3 same-sex and same-age 7- and 9-year-old children (N = 237) had to decide which 1 of 2 hypothetical candidates should play the lead role in a…
Costly third-party interventions
Internet Safety and the Silver Surfer
Currently, fewer older adults are online compared with younger generations. However, with many new initiatives aiming to significantly increase the number of older internet users, they will increasingly be exposed to potential victimisation from internet fraud, a fundamental issue affecting all adult internet users. Despite this, little research has examined online risk‐taking across the adult lifespan or adults' reasoning about risky online beha…
Virtual morality in the helping professions
Recent advances in virtual technologies have allowed the investigation of simulated moral actions in aversive moral dilemmas. Previous studies have employed diverse populations to explore these actions, with little research considering the significance of occupation on moral decision-making. For the first time, in this study we have investigated simulated moral actions in virtual reality made by professionally trained paramedics and fire service …
When punishment is emotion‐driven
When do children, adolescents, and adults decide to punish fairness violations? Two studies with 9‐year‐old children, 13‐year‐old adolescents, and adults investigated whether the link between unfairness and punishment was mediated by negative emotional reactions (measured through galvanic skin responses and emotion ratings). Study 1 ( N = 117) examined this question in the context of second‐party punishment, where the punisher is a direct victim …
The Robot Made Me Do It
Empirical evidence has shown that peer pressure can impact human risk-taking behavior. With robots becoming ever more present in a range of human settings, it is crucial to examine whether robots can have a similar impact. Using the balloon analogue risk task (BART), participants' risk-taking behavior was measured when alone, in the presence of a silent robot, or in the presence of a robot that actively encouraged risk-taking behavior. In the BAR…
Physical Presence during Moral Action in Immersive Virtual Reality
Research on morality has focused on differences in moral judgment and action. In this study, we investigated self-reported moral reasoning after a hypothetical moral dilemma was presented on paper, and moral reasoning after that very same dilemma was experienced in immersive virtual reality (IVR). We asked open-ended questions and used content analysis to determine moral reasoning in a sample of 107 participants. We found that participants referr…
Ideological and psychological predictors of Covid-19-related collective action, opinions, and health compliance across three nations
Until vaccines or treatments are widely available and used, behavioral change (e.g. social distancing) on an unparalleled collective scale is the chief way to curb the spread of COVID-19. Relying on ideology and collective action models as conceptual frameworks, in the present study the role of ideological and psychological factors in COVID-19-related opinions, health compliance behaviors, and collective action were examined in three countries. R…
Coronashaming
Experiencing empathy for others has been linked to worsening others’ feelings against their wishes. These paternalistic empathic goals have been theorised to happen at the dyad level when an agent aims to worsen a target’s emotional state. They may also operate at a broader level when agents are third-party observers of COVID-19 lockdown rule violations. In these instances, agents can impact transgressors’ affect engaging in Coronashaming. In thr…
Conformity on moral, social conventional and decency issues in the United Kingdom and Kuwait
Theories in moral psychology have debated whether people's moral judgements are influenced by social processes, such as others' opinions, arguments, and actions. This research investigated conformity with moral, social conventional and decency issues in adults from the United Kingdom (Study 1, N = 50) and Kuwait (Study 2, N = 164). Participants first had to make individual judgements regarding moral, social conventional and decency transgressions…
What do I want to feel? Emotion goals in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood
Beliefs about emotion utility can influence context-sensitive emotion goals (i.e., desired emotional responses). Although key for emotion regulation, emotion goals have been overlooked in children and adolescents. In 2018–2019 results of Studies 1 and 2 showed that children (N = 192, Mage = 8.65, 47% girls, 96% White) were less motivated by and found anger less useful in confrontation than adolescents (N = 192, Mage = 12.96, 50% girls, 93% White)…
Exploring the Pathways to Psychological Well-Being
This study investigated the impact of parental sensitivity on emerging adults' psychological well-being. Using a moderated mediation model, it explored how adjustment (prosocial and aggressive behavior) mediates the association between perceived parental sensitivity and psychological well-being of emerging adults. Additionally, residential mobility was examined as a moderator in the relationship between parental sensitivity and adjustment. A samp…
Cross-cultural moral judgments and emotions in preschoolers
The study aims to investigate the effect of cultural background between Italy and Japan on 5-year-old children’s moral judgements and emotion attributions towards human and robot. The children watched videos drawn from classic ‘happy victimizer’ stories, in which the transgressors were either a child or a robot, violating rules against stealing or not sharing. We assessed the children’s attribution of emotions both to the transgressors and to the…
Psychology (24 works) · Social Psychology (21 works) · Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment (14 works) · Social Psychology (13 works) · Developmental psychology (9 works) · Economics (6 works) · Experimental Behavioral Economics Studies (6 works) · Empathy (5 works) · Moral disengagement (5 works) · Political science (5 works)