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Prof. Ariel Knafo-Noam

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Phone:  972-2-5883426

Fax:  972-2-5881466

Email:  ariel.knafo@mail.huji.ac.il

 

Office Location:  Social sciences building, 3501

 

Research Topics: Development of pro-social behavior and empathy in the context of genetics and the family environment, the interaction between parenting and temperament, and the development of values in the contexts of culture and the family

 

Teaching: Social Psychology; Personality: Development, change, nature & nurture; Values in adolescence; The development of prosocial behavior, empathy and altruism; Field work: Social development; Research seminar: Social development B; Advanced studies in social development & developmental psychology

 

General

 

 

 

 

 

Ariel Knafo is a professor of developmental social psychology in the Psychology Department at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. One of his main lines of research concerns the development of personality and particularly altruism, empathy and other aspects of pro-sociality. For that matter, he studies the genetic, environmental and combined contributions to empathy and pro-social behavior, using questionnaire, experimental and observational designs.

He is interested in all potential influences on individual differences in social behavior and values. He investigates how values develop across contexts, cultures, and families. Another line of research studies concerns parent-child as well as child-parent influences, and in particular how children's genetics affect their own temperament and how parents react to them. The complex pattern of parent-child and genetic-environmental reciprocal or circular influences is studied with a twin study as well as with a study following families from pregnancy to children’s age 3. His aim is to combine behavior genetics and social-personality psychology approaches, with a developmental perspective to provide a comprehensive view of child and adolescent development and behavior.

 

Curriculum Vitae

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Representative work:

 

Knafo, A., Zahn-Waxler, C., Van Hulle, C., Robinson, J., & Rhee, S. H. (2008). The developmental origins of a disposition towards empathy: Genetic and environmental contributions. Emotion, 8, 737-752.

 

Knafo, A., Israel, S., & Ebstein, R. P. (2011). Heritability of children's prosocial behavior and differential susceptibility to parenting by variation in the dopamine receptor D4 gene. Development and Psychopathology, 23, 53–67.

 

Knafo-Noam, A., Uzefovsky, F., Israel, S., Davidov, M., & Zahn-Waxler C. (2015). The prosocial personality and its facets: Genetic and environmental architecture of mother-reported behavior of 7-year old twins. Frontiers in Psychology.

 

Hasenfratz, L., Benish-Weisman, M., Steinberg, T., & Knafo-Noam, A. (2015). Temperament and peer problems from early to middle childhood: Gene-environment correlations with negative emotionality and sociability. Development and Psychopathology, 27, 1089–1109.

 

Uzefovsky, F., Döring, A.K. & Knafo-Noam, A., (2016). Values in middle childhood: Social and genetic contributions. Social Development.

Journal articles

 

2020

 

2019

2018

 

2017

​

2016

 

2015

 

2014

 

Handbook chapters

  1. Avinun, R., &Knafo-Noam, A.* (in press). Socialization, Genetics and their Interplay in Development. In J.E. Grusec and P. Hastings (Eds.) Handbook of Socialization. Guilford.

  2. Hasenfratz, L., &Knafo, A.* (Forthcoming). Effects of Parenting on Prosocial Behavior in a Cross-Cultural Context. In J. Wright (Ed.). International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences, second edition. Elsevier.

  1. Decety, J., &Knafo, A. (forthcoming). Empathy. In A. W. Toga (Ed.), Brain Mapping: An Encyclopedic Reference, Elsevier.

  2. Eisenberg, N., Spinrad, T. L., &Knafo-Noam, A. (forthcoming). Prosocial Development.  In M. E. Lamb & C. Garcia Coll (Vol. ) and R. M. Lerner (Series Ed.), Handbook of Child Psychology: Vol. 3. Social, Emotional, and Personality Development (7thed). New York: Wiley.

  3. Kuczynski, L., &Knafo, A. (2014). Innovation and Continuity in Socialization, Internalization and Acculturation. In M. Killen and J. G. Smetana (Eds.) Handbook of Moral Development, 2nd edition (pp. 93-112). Taylor and Francis Publishers.

  4. Fortuna, K., &Knafo, A. (2014). Parental and genetic contributions to prosocial behavior during childhood. In L. Padilla-Walker and G. Carlo (Eds.).The Complexities of Raising Prosocial Children: An Examination of the Multidimensionality of Prosocial Behaviors. Oxford University Press, pp. 70-89.

 

2013

 

2012​

  • Daniel, E., Fortuna, K., Thrun, K. S., Cioban, S., & Knafo, A.* (2012). Brief Report:

Early Adolescents’ Value Development at War Time. Journal of Adolescence.

 

2011​​

 

2010​

 

2009

 

2008

 

2007

 

2006

 

2005

 

2004

 

2003

 

2002

 

2001

 

2000

 

IN PRESS

 

EDITED BOOK

  • Oakley, B., Knafo, A., Madhavan, G., & Wilson, D. S. (Eds.) (2012). Pathological Altruism,Oxford University Press.

Edited works (book, special issues/sections)

 

HANDBOOK/ENCYCLOPEDIA CHAPTERS

  • Knafo-Noam, A., Barni, D., & Schwartz, S. H. (forthcoming). Intergenerational Value Continuity: broadening from Parent-to-Child Transmission to Reciprocal Influences, Genetics, and Environmental Antecedents. In L. Arnett Jensen (Ed.).The Oxford Handbook of Moral Development: An Interdisciplinary Perspective. Oxford University Press.

  • Vertsberger, D., Israel, S., &Knafo-Noam, A.* (in press). Genetics, Parenting and Moral Development. In D. Laible, L. Padilla-Walker and G. Carlo (Eds.).The Oxford Handbook of Parenting and Moral Development. Oxford University Press.

  • Markovitch, N., &Knafo-Noam, A.* (2018). Prosociality. In M. H. Bornstein, Ed. The Sage Encyclopedia of Lifespan Human Development.

  • Amichay-Setter, M., &Knafo-Noam, A.* (2018). Giftedness. In M. H. Bornstein, Ed. The Sage Encyclopedia of Lifespan Human Development.

  • Avinun, R., &Knafo-Noam, A.* (2018). Gene-Environment Correlations. In M. H. Bornstein, Ed. The Sage Encyclopedia of Lifespan Human Development.

  • Vertsberger, D., &Knafo-Noam, A.* (2018). Values. In M. H. Bornstein, Ed. The Sage Encyclopedia of Lifespan Human Development.

  • Avinun, R., &Knafo-Noam, A.* (in press). Behavior genetics. In B. Hopkins, E. Geangu and S. Linkenauger, Eds. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Child Development (second edition).

  • Avinun, R., &Knafo-Noam, A.* (2016). Gene-Environment Interaction. In, V. Zeigler-Hill and T. K. Shackelford, Eds. Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences.

  • Knafo-Noam, A. & Markovitch, N. (2015). Individual Differences in Prosociality: The Roles of Parenting, Temperament, and Genetics. In Tremblay R.E., Boivin, M. & Peters, R. (Eds.) Encyclopedia of Early Childhood Development.

  • Avinun, R., &Knafo-Noam, A.* (2015). Socialization, Genetics and their Interplay in Development. In J.E. Grusec and P. Hastings (Eds.) Handbook of Socialization. Guilford.

  • Hasenfratz, L., &Knafo, A.* (2015). Prosocial Behavior, Effects of Parenting and Family Structure on. In J. Wright (Ed.). International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences, second edition. Pp. 244–249, Elsevier.

  • Decety, J., &Knafo, A. (2015). Empathy. In A. W. Toga (Ed.), Brain Mapping: An Encyclopedic Reference, vol. 3, (pp. 191-194). Academic Press: Elsevier.

  • Eisenberg, N., Spinrad, T. L., &Knafo-Noam, A. (2015). Prosocial Development.  In M. E. Lamb (Vol. Ed.) & R. M. Lerner (Series Ed.), Handbook of Child Psychology and Developmental Science: Vol. 3. Social, Emotional, and Personality Development (7th ed) (pp. 610-658). New York: Wiley.

  • Kuczynski, L., &Knafo, A. (2014). Innovation and Continuity in Socialization, Internalization and Acculturation. In M. Killen and J. G. Smetana (Eds.) Handbook of  Moral Development, 2nd edition (pp. 93-112). Taylor and Francis Publishers.

  • Knafo, A. & Israel, S. (2012). Empathy, prosociality, and other aspects of kindness. In M. Zentner & R. Shiner, (Eds.). The Handbook of Temperament: Theory and Research. New York: Guilford Press.

  • Knafo, A., Weiner, M. & Dubrovsky, I. (2009). Prosocial behavior. In E. Anderman, (Ed.). Psychology of Classroom Learning: An Encyclopedia. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA.

 

BOOK CHAPTERS

  • Segal, H. & & Knafo-Noam*, A. (in press). Twin rivalry in childhood. In S. Hart and N. Aaron Jones (Eds.). The Psychology of Rivalry, Nova.

  • Benish-Weisman, M., Daniel, E., &Knafo-Noam, A. (2017). The relations between values and aggression: A developmental perspective. In S. Roccas and L. Sagiv (Eds.). Values and Behaviors. Springer.

  • Uzefovsky, F.,* &Knafo-Noam, A.,* (2017). Empathy development throughout the lifespan. In J. Sommerville &J. Decety, (Eds.). Social Cognition: Frontiers in Developmental Science Series (Psychology Press | Taylor and Francis Group).

  • Abramson, L., Mankuta, D., &Knafo-Noam, A.* (2016). Parent-child symbolic relationship in-utero: Parents’ prenatal expectations regarding their child’s temperament and their own parenting. In D. Narvaez, J. Braungart-Rieker, L. Miller, L. Gettler, & P. Hastings (Eds.).  Contexts for Young Child Flourishing: Evolution, Family, and Society. Oxford University Press.

  • Fortuna, K., &Knafo, A. (2014). Parental and genetic contributions to prosocial behavior during childhood. In L. Padilla-Walker and G. Carlo (Eds.).The Complexities of Raising Prosocial Children: An Examination of the Multidimensionality of Prosocial Behaviors. Oxford University Press, pp. 70-89.

  • Ebstein, R.P., Shalev, I.,  Israel, S., Uzefovsky, F., Avinun, R., Knafo, A., Yirmiya, N., & Mankuta, D. (2013). Oxytocin and vasopressin in human sociality and social psychopathologies. In E. Choleris, D. Pfaff, & M. Kavaliers, (Eds.). Oxytocin, Vasopressin, and Related Peptides in the Biochemical Regulation of Behavior. Cambridge University Press.

  • Knafo, A., Daniel, E., Gabay, S., Zilber, R., & Shir, R. (2012) Religion and the intergenerational continuity of values. In: G. Trommsdorff & X. Chen (Eds.).Values, Religion, and Culture in Adolescent Development, Cambridge University Press.

  • Knafo, A., & Uzefovsky, F. (forthcoming). Variation in empathy: The interplay of genetic and environmental factors. In: M. Legerstee, D. W. Haley, & M. H. Bornstein (Eds.). The developing Infant Mind: Integrating Biology and Experience. Guilford Press.

  • Knafo, A. (2011). Gene-environment Correlation Applied to Parenting: Maternal Warmth and Intrusiveness. In E. Kourkoutas & F. Erkman (Eds.). Interpersonal Acceptance and Rejection: Social, Emotional, and Educational Contexts. Boca Raton, FL: Brown Walker Press

  • Knafo, A., & Israel, S. (2009). Genetic and Environmental Influences on Prosocial Behavior. In: M. Mikulincer & P. R. Shaver (Eds.), Prosocial Motives, Emotions, and Behavior: The Better Angels of Our Nature, pp. 149-167. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association (APA) Publications.

  • Oakley, B., Knafo, A., & McGrath, M. (2012). Pathological Altruism – An Introduction. In Oakley, A. Knafo, G. Madhavan, & D. S. Wilson (Eds.), Pathological Altruism (pp. 3-8), Oxford University Press.

  • Möllering, A., Schiefer, D., Knafo, A., & Boehnke, K. (forthcoming). Acculturation strategies and well-being among migrant and minority adolescents: A cross-national and cross-ethnic comparison. In R. Silbereisen (Ed.). Living Together Apart – Migrants in Israel and Germany.

  • Daniel, E., Benish Weisman, M., Boehnke, K., & Knafo, A.* (forthcoming). Personal and culture-dependent values as part of minority adolescent identity. In R. Silbereisen (Ed.). Living Together Apart – Migrants in Israel and Germany.

  • Knafo, A., & Schwartz, S. H. (2008). Accounting for parent-child value congruence: Theoretical considerations and empirical evidence. In: U. Schönpflug (Ed.), Cultural transmission: Developmental, psychological, social, and methodological perspectives (pp. 240-268), Cambridge University Press.

  • Knafo, A., Assor, A., Schwartz, S. H., & David, L. (2008). Culture, migration, and family value socialization: A theoretical model and empirical investigation with Russian-speaking youth in Israel. In: U. Schönpflug (Ed.), Cultural transmission: Developmental, psychological, social, and methodological perspectives (pp. 269-296), Cambridge University Press.

  • Solomon, S., & Knafo, A. (2007). Value similarity in adolescent friendships. In T. C. Rhoades (Ed.). Focus on Adolescent Behavior Research(pp. 133-155). New York: Nova Science Publishers.

  • Knafo, A., & Schwartz, S. H. (2003). Culture-appropriate parenting and value transmission in families of Israeli-born and Soviet-born adolescents in Israel. In T. Horowitz, B. Kotik-Friedgut, & S. Hoffman (Eds.), From pacesetters to dropouts: Post-Soviet youth in comparative perspective, (pp. 69-88), New York: The Rowan and Littlefield Publishers.

 

NON-ENGLISH PUBLICATIONS

  • Hadjar, A., Boehnke, K., Knafo, A., Daniel, E., Musiol, A. L., Schiefer, D., & Möllering, A. (2014). Intergenerationale Werteähnlichkeit, Distanz zu gesellschaftlichen Mainstream-Werten und subjektives Wohlbefinden von MigrantInnen. In Zwischen den Generationen (pp. 49-69). Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden. (German).  

  •  Daniel, E., & Knafo, A.* (2011). Values and attitudes towards law abiding. Law and Business, 12, 159-180 (Hebrew).

  • Knafo, A., & Israel, S., (2011). Genes, Parenting, and the Parent-Child Relationship. Systeemtheoretisch Bulletin, XXIX:3, 273-286. (Dutch). 

  • Ben-Shalom, U., Dubrovsky, I., Knafo, A., & Etgar, S. (2006). Soldiers during the disengagement: Stress, coping and meaning from a positive psychology perspective.Military Psychology, 5, 197-241 (Hebrew).

  • Daniel, E., & Knafo, A.* (2011). Values and attitudes towards law abiding. Law and Business, 12, 159-180 (Hebrew).

  • Knafo, A., & Israel, S., (2011). Genes, Parenting, and the Parent-Child Relationship.Systeemtheoretisch Bulletin, XXIX:3, 273-286. (Dutch).

  • Knafo, A., & Schwartz, S. H. (2004). Value transmission in the family: Effects of family background and implications for educational achievement. Jerusalem: NCJW Research Institute for Innovation in Education (Hebrew).

  • Knafo, A. (2002). Les implications socioculturelles de la revue bilingue “Brit” chez les Juifs francophones originaires du Maroc (The socio-cultural implications of “Brit”, a bilingual periodical of Francophone Morrocan Jews in Israel). In: D. Mendelson (Ed.):La Culture Francophone en Israel, vol. 2 (pp. 261-281). Paris: Edition L’Harmattan. (French)

 

ADDITIONAL PUBLICATIONS

  • Knafo-Noam, A. (2019, February 15). With all due respect to science, some lines cannot be crossed (on Three Identical Strangers). Haaretz, Weekend supplement (in Hebrew).

  • Knafo-Noam, A. (2017, October 24). Grandfather, grandson and two secret notes. Haaretz, literary supplement (in Hebrew).

  • Knafo, A.  (2014). Ask the Brains: Are people inclined to act cooperatively or selfishly? And is such behavior genetic? Scientific American Mind.

  • Oakley, B., Madhavan, G., Knafo, A., & Wilson, D. S. (2012). Killing with Kindness. Studying the evolution of altruistic behaviors reveals how knee-jerk good intentions can backfire. The Scientist.

  • Knafo, A. (2012). A fascinating introduction to the temperamental thread: A review of Kagan’s book. Society and Welfare. (Hebrew).

*Corresponding author/ principal investigator

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