William & Mary Social Cognition Lab
In our lab, we use a social cognitive approach to examine how individuals perceive members of different social groups. More specifically, we examine how attention is allocated to members of different social groups during categorization and how this might affect later stereotype activation. The social categories we study most often (i.e., race, sexual orientation) are those for whom stereotype activation has been shown to be instrumental in affecting later behavior towards individuals of derogated groups, such as Blacks and homosexuals. We also examine the factors that influence the confrontation of prejudice against the derogated groups listed above. Finally, we investigate ways to decrease racial bias and increase allyship in White college students.
Sample of publications from our lab (* = student authors):
Bass, A.*, Choi, J.*, & Dickter, C. L. (2023). Perceptions of Black and White individuals sentenced for violent and non-violent crimes. Journal of Applied Social Psychology.
Robey, N.* & Dickter, C. L. (2022). Internet-based cultural competence training for White undergraduate students at a predominantly White university. Journal of Applied Social Psychology.
Copeland, J.* & Dickter, C. L. (2022). Perceptions of confronters of racist remarks towards interracial couples: The effects of confronter race, assertiveness, explicit bias, and participant race. Journal of Interpersonal Relations: Intergroup Relations and Identity.
Robey, N.*, Dunn, R. S.*, Haskins, N., & Dickter, C. L. (2022). Disparities in student misconduct in higher education for students from underrepresented racial backgrounds or non-citizen visa status. Journal of College and Character.
Farber, R., Wedell, E.*, Herchenroeder, L.*, Dickter, C. L., Pearson, M. R., & Bravo, A. J. (2021). Microaggressions and psychological health among college students: A moderated mediation model of rumination and social structure beliefs. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 8, 245-255.
Best, M.*, Best, R., & Dickter, C. L. (2019). STEAM programming as a pathway to foster positive academic self-efficacy and positive self-concept. Journal of Research in STEM Education, 5(2), 100-117.
Nicolas, G.*, Skinner, A., & Dickter, C. L. (2019). Other than the sum: Hispanic and Middle Eastern categorizations of Black-White mixed-race faces. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 10(4), 532-541.
Dickter, C. L., Forestell, C. A., Gupta, N.*, & Blass, J. A.* (2017). Manipulating entitativity affects implicit behavioral and neural attentional biases toward gay couples. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, 22(2), 271–287.
Dickter, C. L., Forestell, C. A., & Mulder, B. E.* (2015). Neural attention and evaluative responses to gay and lesbian couples. Social Neuroscience, 10(3), 308-319. 10.1080/17470919.2014.999161
PI: Cheryl L. Dickter
Professor, Psychological Sciences, Neuroscience
