Social hierarchies are embedded into the fabric of our society. Though some propose that the purpose of social hierarchies is to promote within group-cohesion, social stratification based on status and power also perpetuates and reinforces inequality. To understand the roots of inequality, it is important to explore the foundations of social status reasoning, and how it is how it is shaped across development and cultures.
I am interested in understanding how infants begin to reason about and navigate social relationships, and how social dynamics are influenced by social status and power. For example, how do we learn whom to befriend, whom to defer to, or whom to learn from? Why do we expect some individuals or groups to benefit over others? To investigate these questions, I take an interdisciplinary approach, drawing from developmental, social, cognitive and comparative psychology.
I am currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of British Columbia, working with Dr. Andrew Baron (Social Cognitive Development Lab and Living Lab at Science World)and Dr. Toni Schmader (Social Identity Lab).
I am also deeply committed to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion in my research and community service. I am a member of the Engendering Success in STEM consortium.
Download a copy of my CV here.
See my UBC Profile