We seek to understand a variety of intergroup processes and issues.
Our world is becoming increasingly polarized ideologically. However, those on the ideological left and right direct their prejudice to different groups in society. Although we know a lot about conservative prejudice, less attention is paid to liberal prejudices. In the SIP Lab, we examine prejudice across the ideological spectrum and identify common underlying motives.
Politics is full of choices: who to vote for; what issues are most important; what are your stances on policy? How people understand and navigate these choices is at the heart of this branch in inquiry in the lab. We also explore the differences and similarities between different political orientations.
Identities do not exist in isolation. They occur in a multitude of social, intergroup contexts--and often, together. Different identities may even clash within the same social setting. In the SIP Lab, we investigate how people's identities influence their interactions with fellow group members and people from outside the group. We also investigate how different identities influence and relate to our other areas of research.
People constantly make appraisals regarding system functionality. We see this in popular culture all of the time; the "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan suggests that America isn't functioning as well as it had in the past and must be brought to its former glory. In SIP lab, we aim to understand when people choose to justify, condemn, and qualify various systems and what these system perceptions may later influence.
In recent years we have witnessed a rise in authoritarian regimes, white supremacist and white nationalist groups, and a general increase in feelings of white disenfranchisement. In the SIP lab, we aim to understand the causes, correlates, and consequences of these forms of extremism.
Stereotypes and prejudice are generally negative unconsciously or consciously held beliefs about people or groups. In the SIP lab, we study these topics in a variety of ways including how colorism influences perceived criminal behavior, how immigration stereotypes differ across groups and the impact of these stereotypes, and much more.
Morality is the study of what is considered right and wrong in a given context and culture. In SIP lab, we explore just how important context is for determining moral decisions.