How does culture shape our view of the natural world?

Nature is truly in the eye of the beholder. Whether a mountain is a perfect place for a ski resort or the sacred home of a supernatural deity depends on who you ask. And it should be no surprise that how we see nature is closely related to how we decide to treat it. I believe that understanding the mutual relationship between nature and culture will help us address ecological challenges and adapt to a changing world.

My research draws on theories of cultural evolution, social cognition, and moral decision-making.

I use a variety of methods from the social sciences in my research. These include quantitative surveys, laboratory experiments, cross-cultural methods, and the analysis of natural language.