Psychology - Imperial Valley

The Psychology department at Imperial Valley - San Diego State University focuses on understanding prosocial behavior, cultural values, and human development. Recent research explores the role of caregivers, grandparents, and socialization in shaping Latinx children's prosocial behavior, highlighting the importance of cultural context. Studies also investigate altruism, sharing, and cooperation in infants and young children, as well as the relationship between identifying with all humanity and cooperative health behaviors during crises like COVID-19.

The department demonstrates strengths in cross-cultural research, developmental psychology, and social learning theory. Its work has implications for promoting prosociality, improving public health, and informing culturally-attuned artificial intelligence development.