Christine Ma‐Kellams

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About

Christine Ma‑Kellams is a social psychologist whose research lies at the intersection of culture, morality, and social cognition. She is best known for challenging Western-centric assumptions about moral psychology, arguing that cultural context fundamentally shapes what people value, how they judge right and wrong, and how they experience moral emotions. Her work reveals that the independent, choice-driven moral self is not universal—instead, in many cultures, moral reasoning is deeply embedded in social roles, interdependence, and communal obligations. Ma‑Kellams has also contributed to the study of empathy, emotional accuracy, and how people infer the mental states of others across cultural boundaries. Her editorial “Culture and morality: things we value” (2025) synthesizes these themes, calling for a more inclusive, culturally situated science of morality. Though early in its trajectory, this piece signals a growing movement to decolonize moral psychology. With a citation record that continues to rise, Ma‑Kellams is recognized for bridging psychological science with cultural critique, making her a vital voice for students and researchers interested in how culture shapes the very foundations of human values.