My research explores a fundamental question in social psychology: How can we achieve equity in intergroup relations? Specifically, I investigate how we form impressions of marginalized members of society, how those impressions influence our decision-making, and how we may intervene to achieve parity. Broadly, I am interested in how implicit and explicit processes underlying perception, emotion, and cognitions influence intergroup outcomes. In examining these basic mechanisms, I bridge social, cognitive, and neuroscience research with decision-making to advance psychological theories, to test the flexibility of intergroup impression formation, and to examine the constraints of interventions in producing lasting reductions in inequality. When pursuing my lines of research, I employ a multi-level approach that includes investigations of hormonal determinants (e.g. cortisol), neural activations (e.g. EEG, fMRI), behavioral outcomes, and social change in real-world situations, such as in financial, educational, and judicial contexts. This approach allows me to characterize the complex nature of intergroup relations and test the effectiveness of interventions using different levels of analysis. The Ford Foundation, NIA, and NSF have supported my research.
