Jennifer A. Richeson

Richeson has compiled a record of compelling research that focuses on the social psychological phenomena of cultural diversity and social group membership, particularly the ways race, gender, and socio-economic status impact the way people think, feel and behave. Her work has demonstrated the cognitive “costs” and mutual misperceptions associated with intergroup interactions. A key finding is that interactions between minority and majority group members require heightened self-control to combat expressions of prejudice. The demand on increased cognitive effort makes interracial interactions stressful and cognitively costly for many individuals, even to the point of undermining their cognitive performance after the interaction. Richeson’s research on the wide-ranging implications of membership in a stigmatized group has also shown the physiological and mental health effects of contending with both subtle and blatant forms of bias.