Most recently my research has focused on student and faculty perceptions of diversity, and educating about diversity.  I, Dr. Janine Chi, and student collaborators have explored student attitudes toward diversity themed courses, the "D" requirement, and attitudes about the need to focus on diversity at a societal level. We are interested in the ways in which one's own social identity influences a person's desire to learn about diverse social identities; how the desire to be "color-blind" interacts with the desire to learn about other people and cultures; and, other related questions. This research has sparked an interest in qualitative research methods, and the lab is currently using interviews and qualitative analysis to answer our research questions.

Continuing Research Interests

I also have an on-going interest in the experiences of members of stigmatized groups. What are the consequences of being a member of a group for whom others hold negative stereotypes? My work in this area has included consequences for subjective well-being and academics (e.g., stereotype threat).

Although not actively pursuing this work at present, I remain interested in self-esteem research. In particular, I am interested in what people base their self-esteem on (i.e., contingencies of worth). This work stems from a theory developed by Dr. Jennifer Crocker at the University of Michigan (my graduate school advisor). According to Crocker & Wolfe, it is important to understand not only whether a person's self-esteem is high or low - but also to understand the basis for that judgment. Some people may base self-worth on being competent, others on being liked, others on being virtuous, and so on. I am especially interested in understanding how multiple contingencies of worth operate together, and how a person "recovers" from negative feedback in an area related to a contingency of worth.

Click here to see my vita, which includes a full list of my publications and presentations.

Outcomes

Work conducted with student collaborators has culminated in several presentations at national psychological conferences. For example, in October 2010, Sherika Freckleton ('11) and Abbey Rabinovich (;12) traveled with me to Boston College to present our early work on faculty views of diversity at the Diversity Challenge conference, sponsored by the Institute for the Study and Promotion of Race and Culture. In June 2008, several students went to Chicago to present our fledgling work on student attitudes toward diversity education. We presented the poster at the conference for the internationally recognized organization, the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues.

Students have also been very productive outside the lab. Tom Prevete and was awarded a prestigious NSF “REU” summer fellowship which he completed the summer before his senior year. After graduation, students have gone in a number of different directions. For example, Wendy Eichler was awarded a one year Professional Psychology Traineeship through the Devereux Institute of Clinical Training and Research.  Many of the lab's former students are now in graduate programs, including Wendy Eichler who is now working on her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at UC Santa Barbara. See below for more information about previous lab members.

Recent Research

Gupp, E. (2011, April). Faculty Perceptions of Diversity: Bounded or Embodied Knowledge Paper presented at the 26th Annual LVAIC Undergraduate Psychology Conference, Easton, PA. Click here to download a PDF of the slides from her talk .

Wolfe, C., Chi, J., Rabinovich, A., Cole, L., Freckleton, S. & Murphy, M. (2010, October). Student and Faculty “Happy Talk” about Diversity: An Obstacle to Teaching about Racism. Poster presented at the 10th Annual Diversity Challenge: “Race and Culture in Teaching, Training, and Supervision." Boston, MA.

Cole, L. (2010, April).  Experiences and Understandings with Diversity: How They Affect Faculty Pedagogical Practices at a Liberal Arts College. Presented at the 7th Annual Undergraduate Conference on Social Justice/Social Research, Allentown, PA. Click here to download a PDF of the text of her talk.

Chi, J., Wolfe, C. T., Weiss, D., Leavitt, R., Grom, L., Rodriguez, K., & Prevete, T. (2008, June). Social Justice and "Diversity Talk" at a Small Liberal Arts Institution. Poster presented at the conference for the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, Chicago, Illinois. Click here to download a PDF copy of the poster handout.

Weiss, D., Grom, L., & Leavitt, R. (2008, April). Diversity Education at Muhlenberg College. Presented at the 5th Annual Undergraduate Conference on Social Justice/Social Research, Allentown, PA.