Jordan W. Moon

I'm a lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Southampton.  

Previously, I was a lecturer in the Centre for Culture and Evolution at Brunel University of London and a research fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse in the Toulouse School of Economics. My PhD is from Arizona State University. 

Most of my work focuses on religion, morality, and prejudice. For example, I consider how people's goals might drive their religious beliefs and how this leads to different patterns of religious belief across cultures. In other work, I consider what characteristics make people seem more trustworthy. Finally, I'm interested in how moral judgments, for example, about abortion, often reflect individuals' self-interest and goals.  

I use a variety of methods in my research, including lab experiments, field experiments (e.g., "lost letters" experiments), and analysis of archival data. I'm especially interested in whether and how Google Trends can be useful for social scientists. See my tutorial and evaluation here. 

I've been funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation, Inc. to examine the effects of religious fasting. In 2023, I received the Early Career Award from the International Association for the Psychology of Religion. 

Contact: j.w.moon(at)soton.ac.uk