Unlike many children, Simon was exposed to the idea that human behavior could be studied scientifically at a relatively young age due to the influence of his mother's younger brother, Harold Merkel, who had studied economics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison under John R. Commons.
Za razliku od druge djece, bio je izložen ideji da ljudsko ponašanje može biti proučavano u relativno mladom dobu zbog utjecaja majčinog mlađeg brata, Harolda Merkela, koji je studirao ekonomiju na Univerzitetu u Wisconsinu-Madison kod Johna R. Komonsa.