Research Statement

"There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives."

— Audre Lorde 

My research interests center on understanding the psychological impact of intersecting marginalized identities and how these intersections influence empathy, mental and emotional well-being, social behavior, and responses to discrimination, harassment, and stereotyping. I am particularly interested in exploring the unique challenges and perspectives of children of immigrants as they navigate the world in ways shaped by their dual cultural identities. Building on these areas, I aim to develop empathy interventions that encourage individuals to connect with others across differing identities. Leveraging AI as a tool, my goal is to design personalized and effective interventions that foster understanding and promote inclusivity.

During my undergraduate research, I examined factors influencing helping behavior, particularly the roles of race, personality, and perspective-taking. Building on previous studies, such as those by Habashi et al. (2016) and Stürmer et al. (2006), which highlighted the impact of agreeableness and ingroup biases on helping, I sought to explore how these variables interact in scenarios involving intergroup dynamics. Specifically, I investigated whether White participants' willingness to help a hypothetical student, “Katie,” varied based on Katie’s race (Black or White), the participants’ level of agreeableness, and the perspective-taking instructions they were given.

This research experience was pivotal in shaping my current interests in understanding the psychological mechanisms behind social interactions, particularly as they relate to identity, bias, and empathy. It deepened my awareness of how individual and situational factors influence behavior in intergroup contexts, which has informed my ongoing research on male empathy toward sexual harassment and interventions aimed at reducing harassment and racial mistreatment. By building on this foundation, I aim to contribute to the development of evidence-based strategies that foster empathy, promote equity, and improve interpersonal dynamics across diverse settings.

In my current role as an Indiana University Indianapolis Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program fellow, I investigate how empathy training impacts sexual harassment myth acceptance and bystander intentions. Preliminary findings indicate that female participants exposed to empathy interventions demonstrate a statistically significant decrease in sexual harassment myth acceptance and an increase in bystander intervention behaviors and empathy. In addition, there is a gap in research that explores males’ behaviors and attitudes towards sexual harassment victims in the workplace. We sought to replicate the findings found for female participants in male participants while manipulating the gender of the target (male victim vs. female victim).

This study influences my research on social identity by highlighting how empathy and bystander behavior intersect with attitudes toward sexual harassment. The findings suggest that empathy plays a crucial role in shaping individuals' reactions to harassment, which may be influenced by social identity factors such as gender and group affiliation. The lack of significant differences between male and female targets challenges assumptions about gendered responses to harassment and encourages further exploration into how social identities, including gender, race, and other factors, shape perceptions and actions. This aligns with my interest in understanding how social identity affects people's attitudes and behaviors in response to harassment and how empathy might be cultivated across different identity groups.

My future research plans involve writing up a manuscript based on my current project, with the goal of publishing it, while also completing data collection and analysis for the lab’s VR study in the coming months. I intend to further explore empathy and intersectional identities, specifically how race, gender, disability, etc. shape responses to harassment and empathy interventions. My goal is to produce research that not only advances theory but also has practical implications for reducing harassment and fostering inclusivity in real-world settings. I am eager to join a research program where I can contribute to a dynamic research community and develop solutions that address the challenges faced by historically marginalized communities.