At the Social Roles and Beliefs Lab, our goal is to understand the psychological processes that contribute to the persistence of group disparities in the global workforce (e.g., gender gaps) from a psychological perspective. We focus on understanding how beliefs about roles and beliefs about social groups contribute to social inequality and employment segregation.
These beliefs influence social inequality in at least three major ways that our research seeks to uncover. First, we study how beliefs about roles and beliefs about social groups constrain people’s choices, channeling individuals’ motivations, goals, and aspirations into group-stereotypical occupations and roles. Second, we examine how beliefs about roles and beliefs about social groups create barriers to entry for individuals who aspire to roles and occupations that have not been historically occupied by their social group. And third, we investigate how beliefs about roles and beliefs about social groups may create interpersonal resistance that makes it difficult for individuals in counter-stereotypic roles to thrive.
To study these issues, we take an interdisciplinary approach with a strong focus on experimentation, drawing primarily from social psychology, but also incorporating sociological, organizational, and developmental perspectives. Our goal is to produce research based on open and transparent scientific practices that may inform social interventions designed to promote diversity and equity.
If you have any questions, please email nyuad.SRBL@nyu.edu.
