Research:
My body of research is guided by the broad question of, “how do we increase connection and understanding across social identity groups?” I do a blend of basic and applied research. I study the individual (e.g., emotions and attitudes) and contextual (e.g., group make-up) factors that impact someone’s willingness or likelihood to engage in cross-group interactions. I also study and test interventions designed to increase engagement and dialogue across identity groups. A future direction of research will be focused on understanding the psychological processes that undergird current patterns of political polarization and developing ways to decrease the rigid ingroup/outgroup dichotomization evident in today’s world.
