Research

The research we do in my lab focuses on humans in their social collective. When and how do humans cooperate with others? How does morality guide people’s behaviour?

I am interested in when and how humans cooperate with others. I investigate this big question from the two perspectives of group dynamics and prosociality: when do we our best to contribute to our group’s joint performance, for example by sharing our knowledge so we can make good joint decisions? And when do we act prosocially and help others instead of prioritising ourselves, for example by sharing money? Beyond the psychological processes involved, I also look at how “everyday” physiological factors (e.g. stress, sleep deprivation, hunger) influence group dynamics and prosociality.

Further, I am interested in morality. I work both on basic research questions and concrete ethical application cases. Basic research involves the question which fundamental moral values guide our behaviour towards others. From the perspective of concrete cases that pose a challenge to ethics, I am interested in cognitive enhancement (“brain doping”) and how humans morally value non-human animals (speciesism).

My lab’s work is interdisciplinary, using mainly theory and methods from experimental social psychology and from philosophy (ethics). It has been funded, for example, by the German National Academic Foundation, the Volkswagen Foundation, the Oxford Martin School, and the Wellcome Trust.

Ongoing projects

Please contact me if you are interested in any of our current projects (manuscripts under review/in revision):

  • Halfmann, E., Hüffmeier, J., Faber, N. S., & Häusser, J. A. Sleep deprivation and negotiation
  • Halfmann, E., Hüffmeier, J., Faber, N. S., & Häusser, J. A. The switch to daylight saving time increases the sensitivity to norm violations
  • McGuire, L., Frey, E., & Faber, N. S. Exploring the “missing link” in speciesism development: How adolescents reason about animals
  • Miller, D., Nussberger, A-M., Faber, N. S., & Kappes, A. Fighting Vaccination Hesitancy: Improving the Exercise of Responsible Agency
  • Morgenroth, T., Ryan, M. K., Click, A. S., & Faber, N. S. The strategic use of harm-based moral arguments in the context of women’s bodily autonomy
  • Morgenroth, T., Ryan, M. K., Arnold, M. F., & Faber, N. S. The Moralization of Women’s Bodies
  • Salmen, A., Dhont, K., Krings, V. C., & Faber, N. S. Misogyny on the menu: Gender role beliefs and the evaluation of alternatives to meat
  • Schubert, S., Caviola, L, Savulescu, J., & Faber, N. S. Longtermism may reduce ingroup favoritism
  • Wittmann, M. K., Lockwood, P. L., Abdurahman, A., Hamilton, S., Faber, N. S., & Rushworth, M. F. S. Basis functions for complex social decisions in dorsomedial frontal cortex