Professor Mark Nielsen
Professor

Mark Nielsen

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 336 56414

Background

Mark joined the School of Psychology in 2002 as a UQ Postdoctoral Research Fellow after completing his PhD at La Trobe University. His research interests lie in a range of inter-related aspects of socio-cognitive development in young human children and non-human primates. His current research is primarily focused on charting the origins and development of human cultural cognition.

He is:

  • a Senior Research Associate, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
  • a member of: Association for Psychological Science; Society for Research in Child Development; Australasian Human Development Association
  • an Associate Editor: Journal of Experimental Child Psychology; PLoS ONE
  • an Editorial Consultant: Child Development; Developmental Science

Availability

Professor Mark Nielsen is:
Available for supervision

Fields of research

Cognitive and computational psychology Psychology

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Science, Flinders University
  • Postgraduate Diploma, La Trobe University

Research impacts

Mark has forged an international reputation for cutting-edge research on multiple aspects of developmental social cognition. Based on the quality of his research, he was presented with an Early Career Researcher Award from the International Society on Infant Studies (2006), a Research Excellence Award from the (then) Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (2009), and in 2016 was made a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science. He has published over 100 papers, had his research feature in over 80 conference presentations and over 15 invited conference and colloquia talks.

Search Professor Mark Nielsen’s works on UQ eSpace

134 works between 1999 and 2025
All (134) Journal Article (116) Book Chapter (9) Conference Publication (8) Other Outputs (1)

21 - 40 of 134 works

2021

Journal Article

Does helping now excuse cheating later? An investigation into moral balancing in children

Cameron, Sophie, Wilks, Matti and Nielsen, Mark (2021). Does helping now excuse cheating later? An investigation into moral balancing in children. Royal Society Open Science, 8 (7) 202296, 202296. doi: 10.1098/rsos.202296

Does helping now excuse cheating later? An investigation into moral balancing in children

2021

Journal Article

When efficiency attenuates imitation in preschool children

Fong, Frankie T. K., Imuta, Kana, Redshaw, Jonathan and Nielsen, Mark (2021). When efficiency attenuates imitation in preschool children. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 39 (2), 330-337. doi: 10.1111/bjdp.12366

When efficiency attenuates imitation in preschool children

2021

Journal Article

Children’s experience of economic inequality: how earning position influences prosocial behavior

Kirkland, Kelly, Jetten, Jolanda, Wilks, Matti and Nielsen, Mark (2021). Children’s experience of economic inequality: how earning position influences prosocial behavior. Cognitive Development, 58 101043, 101043. doi: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2021.101043

Children’s experience of economic inequality: how earning position influences prosocial behavior

2021

Journal Article

Young children’s capacity to seek information in preparation for a future event

Brinums, Melissa, Redshaw, Jonathan, Nielsen, Mark, Suddendorf, Thomas and Imuta, Kana (2021). Young children’s capacity to seek information in preparation for a future event. Cognitive Development, 58 101015, 101015. doi: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2021.101015

Young children’s capacity to seek information in preparation for a future event

2021

Journal Article

A cross-cultural comparison: imitation of inefficient tool use in Australian and Malaysian preschool children

Fong, Frankie T. K., Redshaw, Jonathan and Nielsen, Mark (2021). A cross-cultural comparison: imitation of inefficient tool use in Australian and Malaysian preschool children. Journal of Cultural Cognitive Science, 5 (1), 37-47. doi: 10.1007/s41809-021-00077-6

A cross-cultural comparison: imitation of inefficient tool use in Australian and Malaysian preschool children

2021

Journal Article

Can a robot teach me that? Children's ability to imitate robots

Sommer, Kristyn, Slaughter, Virginia, Wiles, Janet, Owen, Kathryn, Chiba, Andrea A., Forster, Deborah, Malmir, Mohsen and Nielsen, Mark (2021). Can a robot teach me that? Children's ability to imitate robots. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 203 105040, 105040. doi: 10.1016/j.jecp.2020.105040

Can a robot teach me that? Children's ability to imitate robots

2021

Journal Article

Does neonatal imitation exist? Insights from a meta-analysis of 336 effect sizes

Davis, Jacqueline, Redshaw, Jonathan, Suddendorf, Thomas, Nielsen, Mark, Kennedy-Costantini, Siobhan, Oostenbroek, Janine and Slaughter, Virginia (2021). Does neonatal imitation exist? Insights from a meta-analysis of 336 effect sizes. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 16 (6), 1745691620959834-1397. doi: 10.1177/1745691620959834

Does neonatal imitation exist? Insights from a meta-analysis of 336 effect sizes

2021

Journal Article

Cultural components of sex differences in color preference

Davis, Jac T. M., Robertson, Ellen, Lew‐Levy, Sheina, Neldner, Karri, Kapitany, Rohan, Nielsen, Mark and Hines, Melissa (2021). Cultural components of sex differences in color preference. Child Development, 92 (4) cdev.13528, 1574-1589. doi: 10.1111/cdev.13528

Cultural components of sex differences in color preference

2021

Book Chapter

Social learning from media: the need for a culturally diachronic developmental psychology

Nielsen, Mark, Fong, Frankie T. K. and Whiten, Andrew (2021). Social learning from media: the need for a culturally diachronic developmental psychology. Advances in Child Development and Behavior. (pp. 317-334) edited by Jeffrey J. Lockman. San Diego, CA, USA: Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/bs.acdb.2021.04.001

Social learning from media: the need for a culturally diachronic developmental psychology

2020

Journal Article

Homo neanderthalensi s and the evolutionary origins of ritual in Homo sapiens

Nielsen, Mark, Langley, Michelle C., Shipton, Ceri and Kapitány, Rohan (2020). Homo neanderthalensi s and the evolutionary origins of ritual in Homo sapiens. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 375 (1805) 20190424, 20190424. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0424

Homo neanderthalensi s and the evolutionary origins of ritual in Homo sapiens

2020

Journal Article

Ritual explained: interdisciplinary answers to Tinbergen's four questions

Legare, Cristine H. and Nielsen, Mark (2020). Ritual explained: interdisciplinary answers to Tinbergen's four questions. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 375 (1805) 20190419, 1-5. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0419

Ritual explained: interdisciplinary answers to Tinbergen's four questions

2020

Journal Article

A cross-cultural investigation of young children's spontaneous invention of tool use behaviours

Neldner, Karri, Reindl, Eva, Tennie, Claudio, Grant, Julie, Tomaselli, Keyan and Nielsen, Mark (2020). A cross-cultural investigation of young children's spontaneous invention of tool use behaviours. Royal Society Open Science, 7 (5) 192240, 192240. doi: 10.1098/rsos.192240

A cross-cultural investigation of young children's spontaneous invention of tool use behaviours

2020

Journal Article

The effect of economic inequality on young children's prosocial decision-making: economic inequality and prosociality

Kirkland, Kelly, Jetten, Jolanda and Nielsen, Mark (2020). The effect of economic inequality on young children's prosocial decision-making: economic inequality and prosociality. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 38 (4), 512-528. doi: 10.1111/bjdp.12334

The effect of economic inequality on young children's prosocial decision-making: economic inequality and prosociality

2020

Journal Article

Preschool children overimitate robots, but do so less than they overimitate humans

Sommer, Kristyn, Davidson, Rebecca, Armitage, Kristy L., Slaughter, Virginia, Wiles, Janet and Nielsen, Mark (2020). Preschool children overimitate robots, but do so less than they overimitate humans. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 191 104702, 104702. doi: 10.1016/j.jecp.2019.104702

Preschool children overimitate robots, but do so less than they overimitate humans

2019

Journal Article

Children's perceptions of the moral worth of live agents, robots, and inanimate objects

Sommer, Kristyn, Nielsen, Mark, Draheim, Madeline, Redshaw, Jonathan, Vanman, Eric J. and Wilks, M. (2019). Children's perceptions of the moral worth of live agents, robots, and inanimate objects. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 187 104656, 1-22. doi: 10.1016/j.jecp.2019.06.009

Children's perceptions of the moral worth of live agents, robots, and inanimate objects

2019

Journal Article

A cross-cultural investigation of children’s willingness to imitate prosocial and antisocial groups

Wilks, Matti, Redshaw, Jonathan, Mushin, Ilana and Nielsen, Mark (2019). A cross-cultural investigation of children’s willingness to imitate prosocial and antisocial groups. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 185, 164-175. doi: 10.1016/j.jecp.2019.04.018

A cross-cultural investigation of children’s willingness to imitate prosocial and antisocial groups

2019

Journal Article

Individual differences in neonatal 'imitation' fail to predict early social cognitive behaviour

Redshaw, Jonathan, Nielsen, Mark, Slaughter, Virginia, Kennedy-Costantini, Siobhan, Oostenbroek, Janine, Crimston, Jessica and Suddendorf, Thomas (2019). Individual differences in neonatal 'imitation' fail to predict early social cognitive behaviour. Developmental Science, 23 (2) e12892, e12892. doi: 10.1111/desc.12892

Individual differences in neonatal 'imitation' fail to predict early social cognitive behaviour

2019

Journal Article

Functional illiteracy burden in soil-transmitted helminth (STH) endemic regions of the Philippines: an ecological study and geographical prediction for 2017

Owada, Kei, Nielsen, Mark, Lau, Colleen L., Yakob, Laith, Clements, Archie C. A., Leonardo, Lydia and Soares Magalhães, Ricardo J. (2019). Functional illiteracy burden in soil-transmitted helminth (STH) endemic regions of the Philippines: an ecological study and geographical prediction for 2017. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 13 (6) e0007494, e0007494. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007494

Functional illiteracy burden in soil-transmitted helminth (STH) endemic regions of the Philippines: an ecological study and geographical prediction for 2017

2019

Journal Article

Creation across culture: children’s tool innovation is influenced by cultural and developmental factors

Neldner, Karri, Redshaw, Jonathan, Murphy, Sean, Tomaselli, Keyan, Davis, Jacqueline, Dixson, Barnaby and Nielsen, Mark (2019). Creation across culture: children’s tool innovation is influenced by cultural and developmental factors. Developmental Psychology, 55 (4), 877-889. doi: 10.1037/dev0000672

Creation across culture: children’s tool innovation is influenced by cultural and developmental factors

2019

Journal Article

Determinants of spatial heterogeneity of functional illiteracy among school-aged children in the Philippines: an ecological study

Owada, Kei, Nielsen, Mark, Lau, Colleen, Yakob, Laith, Clements, Archie, Leonardo, Lydia and Soares Magalhães, Ricardo (2019). Determinants of spatial heterogeneity of functional illiteracy among school-aged children in the Philippines: an ecological study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16 (1) 137, 137. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16010137

Determinants of spatial heterogeneity of functional illiteracy among school-aged children in the Philippines: an ecological study

Current funding

  • 2023 - 2025
    The Development and Diversity of Religious Cognition and Behaviour ((John Templeton Foundation) administered by The University of California Riverside)
    University of California, Riverside
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2021 - 2024
    Imitation learning in infancy
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2024
    To imitate or innovate: A new look at children's social learning strategies
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2023
    The Consequences of Formal Education for Science and Religion (The Issachar Fund subaward administered by The University of Texas at Austin)
    University of Texas at Austin - Grants
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2017
    The developmental origins of tool innovation
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2013
    A brain stimulation and portable eye-tracking suite for human behavioural research
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2013
    Over-imitation, trial-and-error learning and the inter-generational transmission of information
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2011
    UQ Travel Awards Category 2 - Dr Mark Gregory Nielsen
    UQ Travel Grants Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2009 - 2013
    Charting the prevalence, time course and social-cognitive correlates of neonatal imitation.
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2009
    UQ Travel Awards Category 2, Dr Mark Nielsen
    UQ Travel Grants Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2008
    Synchronic imitation in children with ASD: imitation and the social deficit hypothesis.
    APEX Foundation for Autism
    Open grant
  • 2007
    Imitation and Pretence in Human Children and Nonhuman Primates: Exploring the Origins of Cultural Cognition
    UQ Travel Grants Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2007 - 2009
    Thinking about the future: The nature and development of mental time travel
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2005 - 2006
    Actions, outcomes, agency and imitation. Why toddlers copy what others do.
    UQ New Staff Research Start-Up Fund
    Open grant
  • 2003
    An Investigation of Social Learning in Human Infants
    UQ Early Career Researcher
    Open grant

Availability

Professor Mark Nielsen is:
Available for supervision

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Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Testing an Evolutionary Account of Inequity Aversion from Behind the Veil of Ignorance

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Lionel Page

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Testing an Evolutionary Account of Inequity Aversion from Behind the Veil of Ignorance

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Lionel Page

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Testing an Evolutionary Account of Inequity Aversion from Behind the Veil of Ignorance

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Lionel Page

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Foundations of cumulative culture: What drives children to innovate or imitate.

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Frankie Fong

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Testing an Evolutionary Account of Inequity Aversion from Behind the Veil of Ignorance

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Lionel Page

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Testing an Evolutionary Account of Inequity Aversion from Behind the Veil of Ignorance

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Lionel Page

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Testing an Evolutionary Account of Inequity Aversion from Behind the Veil of Ignorance

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Lionel Page

  • Doctor Philosophy

    To imitate or innovate: A new look at children's social learning

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Frankie Fong

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Testing an Evolutionary Account of Inequity Aversion from Behind the Veil of Ignorance

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Lionel Page

  • Doctor Philosophy

    How Indonesian Matrilineal and Patrilineal Culture Affect Gender Norms in Imitation

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Frankie Fong

  • Doctor Philosophy

    A Developemntal Perspective on the Foundations of Ritual and Trust

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Jonathan Redshaw

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Young children¿s costly social learning: ritual vs. instrumental actions

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Frankie Fong

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Imitation and childrens social vs material priorities

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Frankie Fong

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Imitation and childrens social vs material priorities

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Frankie Fong

Completed supervision

Enquiries

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