Molly J. Crockett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Molly J. Crockett
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Crockett speaks at the 2017 World Economic Forum
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| Alma mater | University of California, Los Angeles (BA) King's College, Cambridge (PhD) |
| Awards | APS Janet Taylor Spence Award (2019) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Neuroscience |
| Institutions | Princeton University Yale University University of Oxford |
| Doctoral advisor | Prof Trevor Robbins |
Molly J. Crockett is an American neuroscientist. This means she is a scientist who studies the brain and how it works. She focuses on how people make choices and why they act in certain ways. Her work looks at things like morality (what is right and wrong) and altruism (helping others).
In 2019, she received the Janet Taylor Spence Award. This award came from the Association for Psychological Science. It recognized her important work in the field of psychology.
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Molly Crockett's Career
Molly Crockett grew up in Irvine, California. She is now a professor of psychology at Princeton University. Before this, she taught at Yale University. She also worked as a professor at the University of Oxford in England.
She was a fellow at University College London and the University of Zürich. A "fellow" is a researcher who gets special funding. She received the Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2010.
Education and Studies
Molly Crockett first earned her Bachelor of Science degree. She studied at the University of California, Los Angeles. After that, she went to King's College, Cambridge in England. There, she earned her PhD, which is a very advanced degree. She was also a Gates Cambridge Scholar. This is a special scholarship for talented students.
Molly Crockett's Research Work
Molly Crockett studies behavioral neuroscience. This field looks at how the brain affects our behavior. She is very interested in how neurotransmitters affect our choices. Neurotransmitters are chemicals in the brain that send signals.
For example, she has studied how some medicines, like antidepressants, change how people make decisions. She looks at how these medicines might affect negotiations.
Understanding Moral Outrage
More recently, Molly Crockett has started researching moral outrage. This is a strong feeling of anger or shock. It happens when people see something they think is very unfair or wrong. She explores why people feel this way and how it affects society.
Science Reporting
Molly Crockett has also talked about how science is reported. She believes that sometimes science journalists make research seem more important than it is. She has asked them to be careful not to "over hype" her findings. She wants people to understand the true limits of her research.
