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Current Plant Lab Graduate Students
My current research endeavors the understanding of the ways in which affectivity is an instrument in producing, causing, or being implicated in prejudiced attitudes. Distinctly, I use mechanisms within empathy like empathic motivation, empathic accuracy, and empathic self-efficacy to investigate the intersection between warm, positive emotions (i.e., empathy) and hostile, negative attitudes (i.e., prejudice). In this investigation, I learn more about the intricacies involved in its expression and how it may facilitate how researchers think of emotionality’s role in prejudiced beliefs, and most importantly, figure out ways to reduce it.
Much of society operates using structures like government institutions, education, laws, and policies. Importantly, these structures shape the underlying rules, norms, and patterns within a system, thus influencing the distribution of power, resources, and opportunities across different racial groups in society. My research examines people’s perceptions of such societal structures, the underlying motivations behind their perceptions, and importantly, how different motivators influence perceivers' ability (and willingness) to acknowledge and/or deny existing power differentials across different racial groups. The primary goal of my research is to better understand the top-down processes that sustain systemic inequalities affecting minority communities.
My research interests focus on understanding how personal social networks (e.g., friends, family, co-workers) shape individuals’ thoughts and behaviors toward social groups they do not belong to. Previous research suggests individuals may avoid interacting with out-groups if they perceive their own social network views these groups unfavorably (i.e. fears of stigma by association). I aim to explore this concept further, particularly in the context of different political, sexual, and racial groups. Additionally, I am interested in examining how prejudiced beliefs are derived from in-group behavior and identifying strategies to reduce these biases through positive direct and indirect intergroup interactions.
My research interest is broadly focused on social rejection and what happens after a person is rejected. Specifically, I am interested in exploring this topic within the contexts of racial identity, prejudice, and discrimination. Previous research suggests that when people are rejected from a social group, they are then motivated to affiliate with a new group; however, much less research has explored identity fluidity and its functions. My current project aims to uncover how having multiple salient racial identities (i.e., biracial people) may function as a protective measure against the negative effects of rejection.
My research focuses on the way sociocultural factors shape people's identities, beliefs, and wellbeing. Given the rapidly changing world, I am interested in the way digital spaces impact the perception, development, and negotiation of the self. One area I focus on is how the structure of social media platforms (e.g. advertisements, algorithms, and content feeds) shapes the attitudes and behaviors of users. Another component of my research is understanding how social media platforms are then used to engage in hate speech and online discourses, self-expression and presentation, and in community and subculture formation. With a focus on marginalized identities framed by intersectional and feminist theories, I hope to understand how social media shapes prejudice, stereotyping, the sense of self, and feelings toward ingroups and outgroups.
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