Sarah Gaither
Principal Investigator, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Duke University

Diverse Perspectives: Contexts & Social Identities
Humans are fundamentally social beings, and their social interactions represent a core aspect of human nature. With today’s society becoming increasingly diverse, it is important for research to examine how exposure to and interactions with diversity affects the various perspectives and experiences we have. In my talk I will explore how both the context and the various social identities we have shape behavior in different types of settings across the lifespan.I will discuss these issues using my own research examining: 1) how different experiences of intergroup contact influence interracial interactions; 2) how racial identity flexibility for biracial adults and children impacts flexibility in their social and learning tendencies; and 3) how thinking broadly about the multiple identities a person has boosts creative thinking and affects social categorizations of others. In sum, this talk will highlight some of the experiential and developmental factors that predict how we behave in different types of diverse settings.