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)

41 - 60 of 134 works

2019

Conference Publication

Children's Judgments of Anti-Social Behaviour Towards a Robot: Liking and Learning

Davidson, Rebecca, Sommer, Kristyn and Nielsen, Mark (2019). Children's Judgments of Anti-Social Behaviour Towards a Robot: Liking and Learning. 14th ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), Daegu South Korea, 11-14 March 2019. Piscataway, NJ United States: IEEE. doi: 10.1109/HRI.2019.8673075

Children's Judgments of Anti-Social Behaviour Towards a Robot: Liking and Learning

2019

Book Chapter

But that's not fair! The experience of economic inequality from a child's perspective

Kirkland, Kelly, Jetten, Jolanda and Nielsen, Mark (2019). But that's not fair! The experience of economic inequality from a child's perspective. The Social Psychology of Inequality. (pp. 187-199) edited by Jolanda Jetten and Kim Peters. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-28856-3_12

But that's not fair! The experience of economic inequality from a child's perspective

2019

Journal Article

Ritualized objects: how we perceive and respond to causally opaque and goal demoted action

Kapitány, Rohan and Nielsen, Mark (2019). Ritualized objects: how we perceive and respond to causally opaque and goal demoted action. Journal of Cognition and Culture, 19 (1-2), 170-194. doi: 10.1163/15685373-12340053

Ritualized objects: how we perceive and respond to causally opaque and goal demoted action

2018

Journal Article

Developmental changes in young children's willingness to copy the antisocial actions of ingroup members in a minimal group context

Wilks, Matti, Kirby, James and Nielsen, Mark (2018). Developmental changes in young children's willingness to copy the antisocial actions of ingroup members in a minimal group context. Developmental Psychology, 55 (4), 709-721. doi: 10.1037/dev0000667

Developmental changes in young children's willingness to copy the antisocial actions of ingroup members in a minimal group context

2018

Journal Article

Examining memory for ritualized gesture in complex causal sequences

Kapitány, R., Kavanagh, C., Whitehouse, H. and Nielsen, M. (2018). Examining memory for ritualized gesture in complex causal sequences. Cognition, 181, 46-57. doi: 10.1016/j.cognition.2018.08.005

Examining memory for ritualized gesture in complex causal sequences

2018

Journal Article

An experimental examination of object-directed ritualized action in children across two cultures

Kapitány, Rohan, Davis, Jacqueline T., Legare, Cristine and Nielsen, Mark (2018). An experimental examination of object-directed ritualized action in children across two cultures. PLoS One, 13 (11) e0206884, e0206884. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0206884

An experimental examination of object-directed ritualized action in children across two cultures

2018

Journal Article

Spatial distribution and populations at risk of A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura co-infections and infection intensity classes: an ecological study

Owada, Kei, Lau, Colleen L., Leonardo, Lydia, Clements, Archie C A, Yakob, Laith, Nielsen, Mark, Carabin, Hélène and Soares Magalhães, Ricardo J (2018). Spatial distribution and populations at risk of A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura co-infections and infection intensity classes: an ecological study. Parasites and Vectors, 11 (1) 535, 535. doi: 10.1186/s13071-018-3107-y

Spatial distribution and populations at risk of A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura co-infections and infection intensity classes: an ecological study

2018

Journal Article

Re-evaluating the neonatal imitation hypothesis

Oostenbroek, Janine, Redshaw, Jonathan, Davis, Jacqueline, Kennedy-Costantini, Siobhan, Nielsen, Mark, Slaughter, Virginia and Suddendorf, Thomas (2018). Re-evaluating the neonatal imitation hypothesis. Developmental Science, 22 (2) e12720, e12720. doi: 10.1111/desc.12720

Re-evaluating the neonatal imitation hypothesis

2018

Journal Article

Behavioral investments in the short term fail to produce a sunk cost effect

Nash, Jeremy S., Imuta, Kana and Nielsen, Mark (2018). Behavioral investments in the short term fail to produce a sunk cost effect. Psychological Reports, 122 (5), 33294118790908-1793. doi: 10.1177/0033294118790908

Behavioral investments in the short term fail to produce a sunk cost effect

2018

Journal Article

The social glue of cumulative culture and ritual behavior

Nielsen, Mark (2018). The social glue of cumulative culture and ritual behavior. Child Development Perspectives, 12 (4), 264-268. doi: 10.1111/cdep.12297

The social glue of cumulative culture and ritual behavior

2018

Journal Article

The cost of helping: an exploration of compassionate responding in children

Green, Mitchell, Kirby, James N. and Nielsen, Mark (2018). The cost of helping: an exploration of compassionate responding in children. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 36 (4), 673-678. doi: 10.1111/bjdp.12252

The cost of helping: an exploration of compassionate responding in children

2018

Journal Article

The developmental origins of moral concern: an examination of moral boundary decision making throughout childhood

Neldner, Karri, Crimston, Charlie, Wilks, Matti, Redshaw, Jonathan and Nielsen, Mark (2018). The developmental origins of moral concern: an examination of moral boundary decision making throughout childhood. PLoS One, 13 (5) e0197819, e0197819. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197819

The developmental origins of moral concern: an examination of moral boundary decision making throughout childhood

2018

Journal Article

Young children from three diverse cultures spontaneously and consistently prepare for alternative future possibilities

Redshaw, Jonathan, Suddendorf, Thomas, Neldner, Karri, Wilks, Matti, Tomaselli, Keyan, Mushin, Ilana and Nielsen, Mark (2018). Young children from three diverse cultures spontaneously and consistently prepare for alternative future possibilities. Child Development, 90 (1), 51-61. doi: 10.1111/cdev.13084

Young children from three diverse cultures spontaneously and consistently prepare for alternative future possibilities

2018

Journal Article

The influence of goal demotion on children's reproduction of ritual behavior

Nielsen, Mark, Tomaselli, Keyan and Kapitány, Rohan (2018). The influence of goal demotion on children's reproduction of ritual behavior. Evolution and Human Behavior, 39 (3), 343-348. doi: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2018.02.006

The influence of goal demotion on children's reproduction of ritual behavior

2018

Journal Article

Children imitate antisocial in-group members

Wilks, Matti, Kirby, James and Nielsen, Mark (2018). Children imitate antisocial in-group members. Developmental Science, 21 (6) e12675, e12675. doi: 10.1111/desc.12675

Children imitate antisocial in-group members

2018

Journal Article

Shamanism and the social nature of cumulative culture

Nielsen, Mark, Fischer, Ronald and Kashima, Yoshihisa (2018). Shamanism and the social nature of cumulative culture. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 41 e81. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X17002126

Shamanism and the social nature of cumulative culture

2018

Book Chapter

The acquisition of biface knapping skill in the Acheulean

Shipton, Ceri and Nielsen, Mark (2018). The acquisition of biface knapping skill in the Acheulean. Evolution of Primate Social Cognition. (pp. 283-297) edited by Laura Desirèe Di Paolo, Fabio Di Vincenzo and Francesca De Petrillo. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-93776-2_18

The acquisition of biface knapping skill in the Acheulean

2017

Conference Publication

Measuring the effect of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections on cognitive function in children: systematic review and critical appraisal of evidence

Owada, Kei, Nielsen, Mark, Lau, Colleen, Clements, Archie, Yakob, Laith and Magalhaes, Ricardo J. Soares (2017). Measuring the effect of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections on cognitive function in children: systematic review and critical appraisal of evidence. 65th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), Atlanta, GA United States, 13-16 November, 2016. Deerfield, IL United States: American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Measuring the effect of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections on cognitive function in children: systematic review and critical appraisal of evidence

2017

Journal Article

Young children's tool innovation across culture: Affordance visibility matters

Neldner, Karri, Mushin, Ilana and Nielsen, Mark (2017). Young children's tool innovation across culture: Affordance visibility matters. Cognition, 168, 335-343. doi: 10.1016/j.cognition.2017.07.015

Young children's tool innovation across culture: Affordance visibility matters

2017

Journal Article

Early stone tools and cultural transmission resetting the null hypothesis: comment

Nielsen, Mark and Whiten, Andrew (2017). Early stone tools and cultural transmission resetting the null hypothesis: comment. Current Anthropology, 58 (5), 659-660.

Early stone tools and cultural transmission resetting the null hypothesis: comment

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

Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.

Supervision history

Current supervision

  • 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

  • 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

Completed supervision

Enquiries

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