Biography
I am a cognitive developmental psychologist, exploring how our ability to think and reason develops in early to middle childhood. I am especially fascinated by our ability to imagine, and I study the role it plays in learning about what lies beyond direct observation, such as invisible scientific, religious, and fantastical phenomena.
The overarching question that my research aims to explore is: How do children understand the world? Do they understand it primarily in terms of natural causes or are they disposed, from an early age, to invoke supernatural causes? To answer this question, I study how children learn what is real and what is possible and the role culture plays in this process.
Prior to my position at Holy Cross, I held research positions at Boston University and Columbia University, and worked as an assistant professor at Union College. I run the Mind and Culture Lab (MaCLaB) at Holy Cross.
Selected Publications
Payir, A., Harris, P. L. (2026). Children doubt magic but believe in miracles. Evolution and Human Behavior, 47(5), 106920. ⬈
Payir, A., Corriveau, K., & Harris, P. L. (2026). Peaceful coexistence or inevitable clash? Confronting the claims of science and religion about death. Child Development. ⬈
Ma, M., Payir, A., Mcloughlin, N., & Harris, P.L. (2024). Scientific and religious beliefs are primarily shaped by testimony. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 28(9), 792-803. ⬈
Payir, A., Soley, G., Serbest, O., Corriveau, K., & Harris, P. L. (2024). Religious polarization and the justification of belief in invisible scientific versus religious entities. Child Development 95(5), 1723-1938. ⬈
Payir, A., Corriveau, K., & Harris, P. L. (2023). Children’s beliefs in invisible causal agents – both religious and scientific. Advances in Child Development and Behavior, 65, 1-34. ⬈
Payir, A., Heiphetz, L., Harris, P. L., & Corriveau, K. (2022). What could have been done? Counterfactual alternatives to negative outcomes generated by religious and secular children. Developmental Psychology, 58(2), 376–391. ⬈
Payir, A., Mcloughlin, N., Cui, K.Y., Davoodi, T., Clegg, J., Harris, P. L. & Corriveau, K. (2021). Children’s ideas about what can really happen: The impact of age and religious background. Cognitive Science, 45(10), e13054. ⬈