Ariel J. Mosley, Ph.D.

Department of Psychology

University of California Davis

Primary Lines of Research

Intergroup Perceptions of Cultural Appropriation

In an era of increased globalization, and multicultural integration, cultural appropriation has been a controversial topic of social discourse that has sparked conversations of moral outrage among some, but confusion among others. Why is there so much disagreement?

My work addresses the relationship between group-based status and social constructions of cultural appropriation, or the taking or imitation of a cultural element or product of an out-group. I examine whether dominant and minority group members—in our studies, White and Black Americans—differentially perceive and construe cultural appropriation and its effects. Funded by Psi Chi International Society in Psychology, this research illuminates how group-based status interacts with perpetrator prototypically to influence perceptions of cultural appropriation, and points to differential social identity threats that cultural appropriation poses for majority and minority group members.

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Stigma, Coping, and Stereotyping from the Target's Perspective

Women experience gender discrimination in numerous important life domains, which can harm psychological well-being. This line of work has focused on how disadvantaged group members reconstruct and tell stories about their past experiences of discrimination, and how these stories influence the current views of the self, and hopes for the future. Funded by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, we examined how benefit finding - deriving positive lessons and implications from a past experience - improves well-being among women who have been discriminated against. Read more here.

A second line of work looks the effects of coping strategies on collective action. Results demonstrate that engaging in benefit finding and psychological distancing in regards to past reflections of discrimination facilitates women feel more motivated to help other disadvantaged groups in society, an effect mediated by perceived similarity.

Intersectionality of Sociocultural Identities

The empirical literature suggests that women who come from marginalized backgrounds are relatively ignored by others, and experience a distinct form of gender discrimination. I am interested in how issues of sexism and intersectionality perpetuate inequality among women from historically disadvantaged and dominant groups.

Funded by SPSSI's Grants in Aid Award, this line of work examines how the meaning and experience of gender and sexism manifests differently for Black women and White women, which divergently affects their self-esteem and self-efficacy. Our work shows that Black women, though more likely to endorse benevolent sexism compared to White women, responded more negatively to statements of benevolent sexism.

Another line of research examines how benevolent and hostile sexist ideologies are differentially applied to Black and White women. We provide evidence that Black and White men differentially endorse benevolent and hostile sexism for Black and White women, suggesting that focusing on race and gender prototypes in relation to intersectionality is important for understanding a series of racial and gender-based disparities.

Children and adults' Perceptions of curiosity

What are the core themes of moral cognition and social cognitive development? With Dr. Larissa Heiphetz, I study the development and consequences of moralizing God concepts to study how social cognition changes across development. Specifically, funded by The John Templeton Foundation, we study how children and adults from different backgrounds perceive and experience religious curiosity.

In this line of work, we investigate how adults think about people who are curious. Across both studies, findings consistently demonstrated that people attributed the greatest morality to actors who were curious, and then actors who were knowledgeable, and the least to actors who were not curious. We are currently examining the role of effort perceptions as a potential mediator underlying people’s positive perceptions of curiosity.

Furthermore, we are currently running this study with children to investigate whether children attribute morality to people who are curious, and how these attributions change over time with age. In this first study, we are examining how 5- to-6 and 7-to-8-year-old children think about actors who are curious, knowledgeable, and not curious, using the same short stories as the adult sample. This line of research is ongoing.

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Publications

(12) Mosley, A.J., White, C., Heiphetz, L. (2023) Children's Moral Evaluations of Curiosity in Religion and Science. Child Development. View this article

(11) White, C., Mosley, A.J., Heiphetz, L. (2023) Adults Show Positive Moral Evaluations of Curiosity about Religion. Social Psychological and Personality Science. https://doi/org/10.1177/19485506231195915 View this article

(10) Mosley, A.J., Bharj, T., Biernat, M. (2023). An Intersectional Account of Men’s Objectification of Black and White Women. Sex Roles. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-023-01414-5. View this article

(9) Mosley, A.J., Solomon, L. (2023) Google is Free : Moral Judgements of Intergroup Curiosity. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167223118014. View this article

(8) Mosley, A.J., Biernat, M., Adams, G. (2023). Sociocultural Engagement in a Colorblind Racism Framework Influences Perceptions of Cultural Appropriation, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2023.104487 View this article

(7) Mosley, A.J., Heiphetz, L., White, M.W., Biernat, M., (2023) Perceptions of Harm and Benefit Predict Judgements of Cultural Appropriation. Social Psychological and Personality Science. https://doi.org/10.1177/19485506231162401. View this article

(6) Mosley, A.J., Heiphetz, L. Integrating Social and Moral Psychology to Reduce Inequality. (2021). Psychological Inquiry. 32:3., 1733-177. https://doi.org/10.1080/1047840X.2021.1971445 View this article.

(5) Mosley, A.J., Branscombe (2020). Benefit-Finding Improves Well-Being Among Women Who Have Experienced Gender Discrimination. Sex Roles. 1-16. Advanced online publication: https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi00000327. View this article.

(4) Mosley, A.J., Biernat, M. (2020). The New Identity Theft: Perceptions of cultural appropriation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1-67. Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-020-01175. View this article.

(3) Mosley, A.J., Swanson, T.J., Landau, M.J. (2017) Embodied Health. Wiley Encyclopedia of Health Psychology (Kate Sweeny & Megan Robbins, Eds.), vol 2. View this article.

(2) Kiefer, L., Mosley, A.J., T.J., Landau, M.J. (2017) Fetishism and Gender. The SAGE Encyclopedia of Psychology and Gender, 578-580. View this chapter.

(1) Mosley, A.J. (2012) Gender Discrepancies in Social Facilitation. The Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Scholars Journal, vol. 13, 154-168. View this article.

manuscripts in progress

Cultural Appropriation

Mosley, A.J. , Dovidio, J. (in preparation). The Effects of Cultural Appropriation Exposure and Out-group Empathy on Intergroup Relations. Unpublished manuscript, 3 studies. EASP Utrecht Abstract.

Mosley, A.J. , Dovidio, J., Biernat, M. (in preparation). The role of Diversity Ideologies on Intergroup Perceptions of Cultural Appropriation. Unpublished manuscript, 3 studies.

Mosley, A.J., Biernat, M. (in preparation). Cultural appropriation or cultural celebration? Examining alternative framings of out-group cultural use in intergroup contexts. Unpublished manuscript, 6 studies.

Mosley, A.J. (in preparation). Digital Cultural Appropriation and Collective Existential Threat on Self-Esteem Striving Among Black and White Americans. Unpublished manuscript, 2 studies.

Mosley, A.J. (in preparation). The Automation of Diversity: The Perceived Freedom to Engage in Cultural Appropriation in Artificial Intelligence and Technology. Unpublished manuscript, 2 studies.

Mosley, A.J., Opara, B., Adams, G. (in preparation). Who’s Invited to the Cookout? The Influence of “Wokeness” on Perceptions of Cultural Appropriation. Unpublished manuscript, 2 studies.

Intersectionality

Mosley, A.J. (in preparation). An Intersectional Model of Cultural Appropriation and Stereotypic Endorsement. Unpublished manuscript, 2 studies.

Dickens, D., Mosley, A.J., Carter-Sowell, A. (in preperation) Present but not Accounted For: Examining How Intersectional Identities and Workplace Invisibility Affect Leadership of Black women. Unpublished manuscript, 2 studies.

Mosley, A.J., Biernat, M. (in preparation). An Intersectional Account of Black and White Men’s Endorsement of Ambivalent Sexism for in-group and out-group targets. Unpublished manuscript, 6 studies.

Prejudice, Stereotyping, Discrimination

Mosley, A.J. (in preparation). "Immediately no" : Examining judgements of allies who confront racial injustice.

Mosley, A.J., Uddenberg, S., Dovidio, J.F. (in preparation). Dear Admissions Counselor: Subtle Pathway Discrimination in Undergraduate Admissions Processes. Unpublished manuscript, Columbia University (1 study).

Mosley, A.J., Landau, M.J., Biernat, M. (in preparation). A subjectivity uncertainty theory of prejudice. Unpublished manuscript, (3 studies).

Mosley, A.J., Branscombe (in preparation) Turning Minority Group Members into the Majority: How Ethnic Minority and Majority Americans Respond to Changing Demographics. Unpublished manuscript.

Fellowships, Grants, Academic Awards

2022 University of California Davis Center for the Advancement of Multicultural

Perspective on Social Science, Art, and Humanities Faculty Scholar ($12,000)

2021 International Society of Political Psychology Early Career Travel Award ($100)

2020 SPSSI Grants in Aid Award ($1000)

2020 APA Division 48 - The Society for The Study of Peace, Conflict & Violence Grants Award ($2478)

2020 SPSP Emergency Bridging Grants Program ($500)

2020 University of Kansas Women's Memorial Award ($1500)

2020 University of Kansas Psychology Department Summer Research Grant ($2000)

2020 University of Kansas Jack Brehm Travel Award in Social Psychology ($1000)

2020 University of Kansas Jack Brehm Basic Research Award in Social Psychology ($800)

2019 SPSP Jenessa Shapiro Graduate Research Award ($1,000)

2019 University of Kansas Psychology Department Doris Sheets Award ($1,400)

2019 University of Kansas Jack Brehm Grant Graduate Travel Award ($750)

2019 University of Kansas Jack Brehm Basic Research Award in Social Psychology ($1000)

2019 Existential Psychology Ernest Becker Research Award ($200)

2018 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Opportunities Worldwide International Grant ($5,000)

2018 University of Kansas Jack Brehm Grant Graduate Travel Award ($750)

2018 University of Kansas Summer Graduate Research Grant ($5,867)

2018 University of Kansas Graduate Studies Travel Award ($500)

2018 University of Kansas Jack Brehm Grant Graduate Travel Award ($750)

2018 University of Kansas Jack Brehm Basic Research Award in Social Psychology ($1,200)

2017 University of Kansas Jack Brehm Grant Graduate Travel Award ($500)

2017 SPSSI Grants in Aid Award ($995)

2017 University of Kansas Summer Research Fellowship Award ($2,000)

2017 Psi Chi Mamie Phipps Clark Research Grant ($1,400)

2016 University of Kansas Jack Brehm Basic Research Award in Social Psychology ($1,000)

2016 University of Kansas Jack Brehm Grant Graduate Travel Award ($500)

2016-2019 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship ($102,000)

2016 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, & Medicine Ford Foundation Graduate Fellowship Honorable Mention

2015-2018 University of Kansas Psychology Strategic Initiative Grant ($3,484)

2015 Society for Personality Social Psychology Graduate Travel Award ($500)

2015 University of Kansas Jack Brehm Basic Research Award in Social Psychology ($500)

2015 University of Kansas Summer Research Fellowship Award ($2,000)

2014 University of Kansas Jack Brehm Grant Graduate Travel Award ($500)

2014 University of Kansas Jack Brehm Basic Research Award in Social Psychology ($500)

2014 Society for Personality Social Psychology Diversity Fund Graduate Travel Award ($500)

2014 Summer Research Scholarship, University of Kansas (2,000)

2014 University of Kansas Jack Brehm Grant Graduate Travel Award ($500)

2014 University of Kansas Graduate Research Fellowship ($16,000)

2014 Graduate Studies Diversity Scholarship, University of Kansas ($5,000)

2013 Yale University Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow of Arts & Sciences Research Fellowship ($4,000)

2013 California Predoctoral Sally Cassanova Fellowship ($3,000)

2013 Outstanding Achievement in Original Scholarship Research Award, California State University Sacramento ($500)

2013 Henry Giron Memorial Scholarship California State University Sacramento ($500)

2013 Daughters of the Union Veterans of the Civil War 1861-1865 Memorial Scholarship ($250)

2013 Professor Addison Somerville Scholarship, California State University Sacramento ($900)

2013 Dean Otis Scott Scholarship, California State University Sacramento ($1,000)

2013 Associated Students Incorporated Dreamers Scholarship California State University Sacramento ($500)

2013 Academic Related Activity Student Travel Grant, California State University Sacramento ($250)

2013 Inducted into the Golden Key International Honor Society

2013 Inducted into the Psi Chi International Honor Society in Psychology

2012 Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program, California State University Sacramento ($3,000)

2008 Tracy African American-Association for Academic Excellence Scholarship ($500)

Research Experience

2019-2022 Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Columbia University

Advisor: Larisa Heiphetz, Ph.D.

2016-2019 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, University of Kansas

Advisor: Monica Biernat, Ph.D.

2018 International Research Fellow, LAPSCO, University of Auvergne Clermont-Ferrand

Advisor: Jean Claude Croizet, Ph.D.

2014-2014 Graduate Research Assistant, University of Kansas

Advisor: Mark Landau, Ph.D.

2013-2014 Research Fellow, Intergroup Relations Lab, Yale University

Advisor: John Dovidio, Ph.D.

2012-2013 Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Research Fellow

California State University Sacramento

Advisor: Lisa Harrison, Ph.D.

2011-2014 Lab Manager, Intergroup Relations and Prejudice Lab

California State University Sacramento

Advisor: Lisa Harrison, Ph.D.

2012-2014 Research Associate, Applied and Quantitative Psychology Lab

California State University Sacramento

Advisor: Lawrence Meyers, Ph.D.

Synergistic Activities

2017-2021 Ad Hoc Reviewer

Group Processes and Intergroup Relations

Motivation and Emotion

Ethnicity and Health

2012-2014 Psi Chi Officer

California State University Sacramento

2013 Psychology Department Peer Advisor

California State University Sacramento

2013 Golden Key Honor Society Treasurer

California State University Sacramento

2012-2013 Applied Behavioral Analysis Intern

Autism Center for Excellence

California State University Sacramento

Academic Presentations

National/International Research Presentations

Mosley, A.J., Biernat, M. (2020, February) Group identification and cultural knowledge on perceptions of cultural appropriation. Chaired talk given at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology 22nd Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA.

Opara, B.* Mosley, A.J., Adams, G.(2020, February) Who's Invited to the Cookout? The effect of target knowledge on perceptions of cultural appropriation. Talk given at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology 22nd Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA.

Mosley, A.J., Landau, M. J., Dovidio, J. (2019, February). The dramaturgical perspective and women’s endorsement of benevolent sexism. Data Blitz presented at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology 21th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR.

Mosley, A.J., Branscombe (2018, November). Turning Minority Group Members into the Majority: How Ethnic Minority and Majority Americans Respond to Changing Demographics. Talk presented at the European Psychological Association Polarization, Populism, Political Alienation: Causes and Consequences of Social Diversity and Inequality? in Landau Pfalz, Germany.

Mosley, A.J., Dovidio, J. (2013, July). Why am I not sexy, smart, and beautiful enough?: Examining women’s internalization of stigma. Talk presented at the National Leadership Alliance Symposium, Stamford, CT.

Mosley, A. J., Harrison L., (2012, July). Gender discrepancies in social facilitation. Talk presented at University at Buffalo’s 18th Annual Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program National Research Conference, Niagara Falls, New York.

Mosley, A. J., Harrison L., (2012, July). Gender discrepancies in social facilitation. Talk presented at University of Georgia’s 18th Annual Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program National Research Conference, Atlanta, Georgia.

National Conference Poster Presentations

Mosley, A.J., Biernat, M. , Adams, G. (2020, February) Group identification and cultural knowledge on perceptions of cultural appropriation. Poster accepted at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology 22nd Annual Meeting Group Processes and Intergroup Relations PreConference, New Orleans, LA.

Mosley, A.J., Biernat, M. R. (2019, March). Group-Based Asymmetries in Perceptions of Cultural Appropriation. Poster presented at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology 20th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR.

*Opara, B., Mosley, A.J., Adams, G. (2019, March). Who’s Invited to the Cookout? The Influence of “Wokeness” on Perceptions of Cultural Appropriation. Poster presented at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology 20th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR.

*Lies, T., Mosley, A.J., Biernat. (2019, March). The Effects of Construal Level on Perceptions of a School Shooter. Poster presented at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology 20th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR.

Mosley, A.J., Croizet, J., Adams, G., Biernat, M. (2018, May). An Ideological Approach to Understanding Symbolic Violence: The Societal Inequality of Intelligence Testing. Poster presented at 30th Association for Psychological Science Annual Convention, San Francisco, CA.

Mosley, A.J., Landau, M. L. Biernat, M. R. (2018, March). A Subjective Uncertainty Theory of Prejudice. Poster presented at the Intergroup Relations Preconference at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology 20th Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA.

Mosley, A.J., Branscombe, N.R., Dovidio, J.F. (2018, March). How benefit finding and self-distancing motivate moral obligations among women to help other victimized groups. Poster presented at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology 20th Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA.

Oltman, K., Uddenberg, S., Mosley, A.J., Dovidio, J.F. (2018, March). Dear Admissions Counselor: Subtle Pathway Discrimination in Undergraduate Admissions Processes. Poster presented at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology 20th Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA.

Mosley, A.J., Landau, M. J., Dovidio, J. (2016, January). Sexism as a social performance: How the dramaturgical perspective increases women’s assimilation to traditional gender norms. Poster presented at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology 17th Annual Meeting, Long Beach, CA.

Mosley, A.J., Dovidio, J. (2015, February). Benevolent Sexist Beliefs of Women on Women. Poster presented at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology 16th Annual Meeting, Long Beach, CA.

Strelich, J., Mosley, A.J., Bohon, L. (2015, February). Women’s Belief in A Just Future: When sexism leads to system justification. Poster presented at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology 16th Annual Meeting, Long Beach, CA.

Mosley, A.J., Dovidio, J., Meyers, L. (2014, April). A Structural Analysis of Internalized Gender Beliefs, Existential Void, and Self-Objectification in Women. Poster presented at the Western Psychological Association Conference, Portland, OR.

Mosley, A.J., Sims, C., Meyers, L. (2014, April). Perceptions of an Illicit Prescriptions Stimulant User Among Caucasian, Asian, and Latino Americans. Poster presented at the Western Psychological Association Conference, Portland, OR.

Mosley, A.J., Sims, C., Meyers, L. (2014, April). A Structural Model Predicting Peer Competence. Poster presented at the Western Psychological Association Conference, Portland, OR.

Sandoval, R., Trowbridge, B., Sandoval, R., Harwood, J., Skye, B., McCavitt, K., Handal, C., Mosley, A.J., Meyers, L. (2014, April). Structural Analysis of Family Functioning in Relation to Guilt and Piety. Poster presented at the Western Psychological Association Conference, Portland, OR.

Mosley, A.J., Harrison, L., (2014, February). The Gendered Nature of Implicit Anti-Fat Bias toward Men: Effects of Muscularity and Ethnicity. Poster presented at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology 15th Annual Meeting, Austin, TX.

Mosley, A. J., Harrison L., (2013, April). Examining whether terror management processes lead to wiser food choices. Poster presented at the Western Psychological Association Conference, Reno, NV.

Trowbridge, B. D., Naemi, P., Wong, J. L. Rodriguez, A. M., Brown, J.A. Mosley, A. J. & Meyers, L.S. (2013, April). Revising Antonovsky’s sense of coherence scale with IRT. Poster presented at the Western Psychological Association Conference, Reno, NV.

University Symposia/Conference Presentations

Mosley, A.J., Dovidio, Meyers (2014, March). Existential Infrahumanization: A Model of Self-Objectification. Talk presented at the California State University Student Research Symposium, Sacramento, CA.

Mosley, A.J., Dovidio, J. (2013, July). Examining the consequences of benevolent sexism endorsement on women’s self-concept. Talk presented at the Yale University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium, New Haven, CT.

Mosley, A. J., Harrison L., (2013, May). How mortality salience increases health behaviors. Talk presented at the Stanford University Undergraduate Psychology Conference, Stanford, CA.

Mosley, A. J., Harrison L., (2012, June). Gender discrepancies in social facilitation. Talk presented at California State University, Sacramento’s McNair Scholars Program Research Symposium 2012, Sacramento CA.

Invited University Talks

Mosley, A.J., Croizet, J., Adams, G., Biernat, M. (2018, May). Undermining Legitimacy of Testing Situations: Dominant and Minority Group Members Perceptions of Inequality and Group-Based Threat. Invited talk presented at the University of Clermont- Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France.

Mosley, A.J., Bharj, T., Biernat, M.R. (2017, November). Shifting Standards of Sexuality: An Intersectional Account of Objectification. Talk presented at the University of Kansas Psychology Department Proseminar.

Mosley, A.J., Landau, M. J., Swanson, T. J. Dovidio, J. F. (2015, September). Play my part: How the dramaturgical perspective increases women’s assimilation to traditional gender norms. Talk presented at the University of Kansas Psychology Department Proseminar.

Mosley, A.J., Swanson, T.J., Landau, M., Dovidio, J.F. (2014, September). Women's Self-Presentation Strategies: Stigma Internalization and Assimilation to Extrinsic Contingencies of Self-Worth. Talk presented at the University of Kansas Psychology Department Proseminar.

University Conference Poster Presentations

Swanson, T. J., Landau, M. J., & Mosley, A. J. (2015, January). Suppressing a Morbid Mentality: The Effects of Avoiding Existential Concerns on Cognitive Depletion and Restoration. Poster presented at the annual KU Graduate Research Competition, Lawrence, KS.

Mosley, A.J., Branscombe, N. (2017, April). How self-distancing and benefit finding encourage moral obligation to help victimized groups. Poster presented at the University of Kansas Graduate Research Competition, Lawrence, KS.

Mosley, A.J., Landau, M. J., Dovidio, J. (2016, January). Narrowly placed on a pedestal: How the dramaturgical perspective increases women’s assimilation to traditional gender norms. Poster presented at the University of Kansas Graduate Research Competition, Lawrence, KS.

Mosley, A. J., Harrison L., (2012, November). Gender discrepancies in social facilitation. Poster presented at the California State University, Sacramento’s Annual Psychology Department Conference, Sacramento, CA.

*Indicates student mentee co-authorship