Empathy and prejudice after attacks in Paris and Beirut
keywords:
terrorism, Construal Level Theory, terror management theory, fear, prejudice, over-generalization, categorization
Empathy and prejudice after attacks in Paris and Beirut
In this blog, I will try to explain why we showed more empathy for victims in Paris than in Beirut, and how feelings of fear after such a terrorist attack can lead to prejudice against out-groups, especially against Muslims. / more
What does your selfie say about you?
keywords:
personality, selfie, zero-acquaintance judgment, social media
What does your selfie say about you?
Selfie is a new form of self-expression in this digital age. In this post, I will discuss our research on how selfies reveal the personality of their owners and how people judge others’ personality based on selfies. / more
Bicultural minds: How capable are you in responding culturally appropriate?
Bicultural minds: How capable are you in responding culturally appropriate?
When individuals live actively with two cultures (in families, organizations or society at large) they, partly unconsciously, partly deliberately, may change towards acquiring a ‘bicultural mind’. I will discuss here, is whether these individuals are capable of spontaneously producing appropriate responses that fit the expectation patterns of either of their two cultures. / more
Why gender neutral toy aisles might help children’s development stay on target
keywords:
gender, toys, development, cognitive skills
Why gender neutral toy aisles might help children’s development stay on target
In this blog post I will discuss how Target’s recent decision to do away with gender specific toy aisles could actually help children develop new cognitive skills, and as well as increase their willingness to play with different types of toys. / more
Why do we still have a cognitive bias that makes us send innocent people to jail? – Explanations of the confirmation bias
Why do we still have a cognitive bias that makes us send innocent people to jail? – Explanations of the confirmation bias
The confirmation bias – seeking and interpreting information to support your pre-existing beliefs – can have tremendous consequences. In this blog, I will explain the existence of the confirmation bias in the criminal justice system and give two possible explanations to why we still have this bias. / more
Does it matter if people are aware of their implicit racial bias?
keywords:
implicit attitudes, racial bias, prejudice
Does it matter if people are aware of their implicit racial bias?
In this blog post, I discuss how people respond to information about their implicit racial bias—automatic attitudes and beliefs that favor one ethnic group over another. Although people can be defensive, emerging research suggests there are benefits to accepting implicit racial bias and being aware of this subtle prejudice . / more
The cross-cultural psychology of Internet privacy concern
keywords:
Privacy concern, relational mobility, culture, Japan, social network sites
The cross-cultural psychology of Internet privacy concern
In a recent cross-cultural study of Facebook users in Japan and the US, I show that Japanese SNS users are more concerned about Internet privacy than American SNS users. And it turns out that because Americans have higher general trust, they less likely to believe that a stranger would take advantage of their private information, should it be leaked online. / more
Gender equity in science: Achievement unlocked?
keywords:
women in STEM, gender bias, equity training
Gender equity in science: Achievement unlocked?
Is it time to throw out our gender -equity-in-STEM training materials? Williams and Ceci (2015) reported that STEM faculty members have a preference for hiring women (not men), reigniting debates over equity in academic hiring. In our blog post, we add to a growing conversation among the scientific community that questions Williams & Ceci’s grand claim of a post-sexist era in academic hiring. / more
Girls will be girls, boys will be bossy
keywords:
bossy, gender, leadership, stereotypes
Girls will be girls, boys will be bossy
The word bossy has been heavily discussed recently, thanks, at least in part, to the Ban Bossy campaign. To date, this debate has centered on why women get called bossy. But what about men? In this blog post, I will share some new research on the word bossy, and what happens when both men and women act bossy, specifically within a workplace context. / more
Einstein beats Mother Theresa as the hero of the world
Einstein beats Mother Theresa as the hero of the world
Heroes and villains don’t only exist in comic books. The real world is full of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ guys (and girls). Being an exceptional scientist or humanitarian will most likely land you on the heroic side of history. Obviously, dictators who have oppressed millions of people are more likely to be seen as the villains of world history. For a number of influential figures, our perception of their achievements however strongly depends on how our particular cultural region was affected. For example, even though the abolition of slavery by Abraham Lincoln makes him a historical hero in American eyes, people from other countries might value Mandela’s struggle against apartheid, or even Princess Diana much more. And what about more controversial figures such as Che Guevara and Napoleon? In this blog, I will review a brand new study in which it was tested who the heroes and villains of our shared, global history are. / more