Matti Wilks
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mattiwilks.bsky.social
Matti Wilks
@mattiwilks.bsky.social
440 followers 330 following 15 posts
Lecturer (Assistant Prof) in Psychology at the University of Edinburgh. Interested in morality and related things.
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mattiwilks.bsky.social
Matti Wilks @mattiwilks.bsky.social · Jul 25
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
mattiwilks.bsky.social
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...
August 4, 2025 at 9:35 PM
mattiwilks.bsky.social
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...
August 4, 2025 at 5:45 PM
mattiwilks.bsky.social
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
July 25, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Reposted by Matti Wilks
mindandmoralitylab.bsky.social
🚨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
June 30, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Reposted by Matti Wilks
byrdnick.com
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_00138 Recap: 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?
June 26, 2025 at 8:19 AM
mattiwilks.bsky.social
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
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...
www.thedealwithanimals.com
June 2, 2025 at 3:48 PM
mattiwilks.bsky.social
Very excited to finally have this in print! @juliamarshall.bsky.social @karrineldner.bsky.social @nathumbehav.nature.com
juliamarshall.bsky.social Julia Marshall @juliamarshall.bsky.social · May 28
🥳🥳 New paper in @nathumbehav.nature.com: “When development constricts our moral circle." Contrary to popular belief, younger kids may start out with broader moral circles than older ones. Check it out here 👉 rdcu.be/eoaSe
w/ @mattiwilks.bsky.social @karrineldner.bsky.social & Lucius Caviola
When development constricts our moral circle
Nature Human Behaviour - Although many believe our moral circles expand with age, this Perspective discusses an early-emerging tendency to care for others.
rdcu.be
May 28, 2025 at 6:31 PM
mattiwilks.bsky.social
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)
May 23, 2025 at 12:40 PM
mattiwilks.bsky.social
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...
February 26, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Reposted by Matti Wilks
hannahkateboast.bsky.social
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...
No Compulsory Redundancies at The University Of Edinburgh! — UCU Edinburgh
Management Is Manufacturing a ‘Financial Crisis’ to Impose Staff Cuts
www.ucuedinburgh.org.uk
February 25, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Reposted by Matti Wilks
schoolofppls.bsky.social
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
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.
edin.ac
February 25, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Reposted by Matti Wilks
bwthornton.bsky.social
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 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.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 25, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Reposted by Matti Wilks
stanfordcisac.bsky.social
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-...
What Have Survey Experiments Taught Us About Decisions to Use Nuclear
cisac.fsi.stanford.edu
January 30, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Reposted by Matti Wilks
briandavidearp.bsky.social
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
Basel-Oxford-NUS BioXPhi Summit 2025 | Institute for Biomedical Ethics | University of Basel
Institute for Biomedical Ethics
buff.ly
January 21, 2025 at 6:07 PM
mattiwilks.bsky.social
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
January 29, 2025 at 10:45 PM
mattiwilks.bsky.social
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
January 22, 2025 at 11:57 AM
Reposted by Matti Wilks
phair-society.bsky.social
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
Animal Advocacy Conference
blogs.kent.ac.uk
January 21, 2025 at 3:15 PM
mattiwilks.bsky.social
As always, can strongly recommend applying for a postdoc with @paulbloomatyale.bsky.social 👇
paulbloomatyale.bsky.social Paul Bloom @paulbloomatyale.bsky.social · Dec 4
Moral psychology postdoc opportunity at the University of Toronto! Please repost, and pass on to anyone you think might be interested.
December 8, 2024 at 12:07 AM
Reposted by Matti Wilks
neogliberal.bsky.social
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
osf.io
November 26, 2024 at 6:05 PM
Reposted by Matti Wilks
gbasarkod.bsky.social
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.
November 24, 2024 at 4:32 AM
Reposted by Matti Wilks
kennytorrella.bsky.social
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...
Americans are eating less meat. And more meat. How?
The growing chasm in American meat consumption, explained.
www.vox.com
November 21, 2024 at 5:23 PM