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Current Plant Lab Graduate Students
One of the challenges of contemporary racism is that it is associated with more abstract and “hidden” problems, such as systemic inequality, which makes it harder to identify and address. How do we fight something that relies on willful ignorance and plausible deniability? First, we need to unmask all the factors that constitute contemporary racism. Second, we need to identify the kind of people who are more susceptible to contemporary racism. Thus, my work focuses on understanding how individual difference factors (motivations, mindsets) relate to modern-day racism.
One primary focus of my current research is studying what factors impact and contribute to individuals’ beliefs about the changeability or malleability of prejudice and the outcomes that stem from those beliefs. While this research has primarily been focused on race, I would like to examine these constructs involving sexuality as well. Another area of research I’m exploring is the idea of contagion concerns involving sexuality. Past research has suggested that there are factors beyond just prejudice that negatively impact majority group members interactions with LGBTQ+ individuals, such as the concern of being perceived as gay, and I would like to extend this research further.
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.
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