Greene Lab

Department of Psychology, Harvard University

For many years our lab has studied moral judgment and decision making. More recently, we’ve expanded our research to address basic questions concerning the brain’s infrastructure for complex thought.

This new research on high-level cognition is focused on “compositionally”, the way that concepts combine to form larger ideas. We are interested in how ideas are composed using language, in our imaginations, in reasoning, and in planning. This work uses both functional neuroimaging and computational modeling.

Our research on moral cognition has focused on the respective contributions of “fast” automatic processes (such as emotional “gut reactions”) and “slow” controlled processes (such as reasoning and self-control). We have studied and applied this dual-process framework to classic hypothetical dilemmas, real temptations toward dishonesty, beliefs about free will and punishment, belief in God, wishful thinking, and cooperation. Current projects aim to improve social decison-making. Topics include the governance autonomous vehicles, making charitable donations more effective, and strategies for reducing animosity and building trust between political “tribes”.