William & Mary Social Cognition Lab

Our research deals with social cognition; more specifically, we are interested in stereotyping and prejudice. In the lab, we study race, gender, and sexual orientation from a variety of angles. On one hand, we examine the initial stereotypes that automatically come to mind when you see an individual belonging to certain social group (e.g., race, gender, etc.). On the other hand, we examine how people respond to individuals making prejudicial remarks. Our research employs a variety of research methods, including behavioral measures, EEG techniques, and self-report.

If you are interested in becoming a research assistant in the lab, complete the following application: Research Assistant application and return it to my mailbox in the psychology department or email me at cldickter@wm.edu

Current Researchers:

Linda Zou headshot

Linda Zou

Lab Manager
5 semesters
Interested in racial ideologies and the personal and situational factors that influence perceptions of prejudice. Currently studying race and gender microaggressions, and how minority group members interpret, hypothetically confront, and remember ambiguous prejudicial comments as compared to majority group members.

Headshot Julie Kittel

Julie Kittel

Research Affiliate

6 semesters

Julie is interested in social neuroscience, especially using EEG to understand stereotyping, stigma, and prejudice. Current projects include attention to and categorization of racially ambiguous faces, neural processing of racial information in autism spectrum disorders, implicit attitudes towards college students with autism spectrum disorders, and the influence of minority status on the perceptions of confrontation of prejudice. Julie is also the project coordinator of the Addiction Research lab. Her website is: http://wmpeople.wm.edu/site/page/jakittel

Kevin Cavanagh headshot

Kevin Cavanagh

Graduate Student
6 semesters
Kevin is interested in studying the factors involved in confronting prejudicial remarks. More specifically, he is interested in experimentally exploring how in-group confrontation can be a possible prejudice reduction strategy. His current projects use different online communication mediums to examine confrontation. He is Kelly Clarksons #1 fan and his favorite movie is Titanic.

Kim Chaney

Undergraduate Honors student
2 semesters
My research interests include stereotypes, prejudice, and impression formations, and I am currently working on two studies I designed examining solo status which is defined as being the only person of one's race or gender in a group. The first study is examining how solo status negatively affects a solo's performance and what may mediate this effect, either working memory or the mere effort account. For my honors project I am currently examining the negative effects of solo status on learning while also adding to our understanding of the mere effort account as a possible mediator of these deficits.

Headshot Aylin Kaya

Aylin Kaya

Undergraduate Honors student, class of 2013
2 semesters
Interested in stereotyping, effects of racism on mental health, and social conditioning through media. I'm currently researching media influences on person perception, sympathy, and stereotyping.

Danielle Weber

Undergraduate

4 semesters

My research examines how the offensiveness of a heterosexist (or homophobic) comment influences the response to the comment, in that a comment that is saliently prejudicial will typically provoke a more assertive response in rejection of that comment and the underlying prejudice, while an ambiguously prejudicial comment will not provoke as strong of a response. I have also worked with studies dealing with confrontation of racist comments. My interests lie in how people respond to prejudicial comments and what factors lead people to confront or avoid confronting.

Blakely Mulder headshot

Blakely Mulder

Undergraduate student, class of 2014
5 semesters
My current project is investigating the neurological basis of heterosexism (more commonly known as "homophobia") by using EEG to measure people's implicit reactions to pictures of homosexual and heterosexual couples. I'm also exploring some other factors, like how whether how easily disgusted people are affects their reactions to homosexuality and whether gender, social conservatism, or exposure to gay and lesbian people make any difference in a person's implicit and explicit reactions to homosexuality.

Research Assistants:

Asia Sykes

6 semesters
Class of 2013

Diana Villarreal

4 semesters
Class of 2013
The experience of being in Professor Dickter's lab has been instrumental in my acceptance to graduate school as well as receiving a research assistance-ship.

Headshot Medha Satyal