I am a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Sociology at Cornell. In my research, I use social psychology and social networks to develop and test theories addressing the dynamics of conflict and the persistence of inequality. In my dissertation and related collaborative projects, I study the ways in which conflict between groups affects behavior within groups, and the implications of these changes for future conflict and cooperation. My second major research area is the study of inequality, with a focus on gender inequality in labor markets. Brief descriptions of my current research projects are below. For more details, please feel free to view my CV or contact me.
In my NSF-funded dissertation research, I examine a fundamental sociological question: how does conflict between groups affect relations within groups? I present a theory specifying the conditions under which groups in conflict will develop stricter norms and more authoritarian systems of leadership than groups at peace. I evaluate the theory using two laboratory studies that test the causal mechanism while controlling for factors that complicate the study of conflict in the field. The results of the studies show that conflict influences group cohesion, the emergence of social norms, and the creation of group hierarchies. The project has broader theoretical implications for the study of institutions, social control, and collective action, as well as practical relevance for developing conflict resolution strategies.
I am also engaged in several related projects. With Michael Macy, Lisa Troyer, and Elisa Bienenstock, I am studying structural approaches to conflict intervention using online multiplayer games that allow for many simultaneous participants. In a separate project, with Ed Lawler, I am studying the role of emotions play in interventions aimed at reducing conflict.
An earlier project on opinion polarization in dynamic networks (with Michael Macy, James Kitts, and Andreas Flache), in the 2003 edited volume Dynamic Social Network Modeling and Analysis, used an agent-based model to show how a population with diverse opinions could polarize mutually antagonistic, internally homogeneous factions, assuming only well-documented social psychological principles of attraction and influence.
I have a strong commitment to studying the causes and consequences of labor market discrimination, with a particular focus on gender discrimination. In my research, I investigate cognitive processes that create and maintain discriminatory practices, frequently (but not always) without the intent or knowledge of those engaging in discrimination.
In a recent paper (with Shelley Correll and In Paik), forthcoming in the American Journal of Sociology, we find that mothers are disadvantaged on every measure of evaluation in a controlled experimental setting. Evaluators see mothers as less competent and committed than other workers, hold them to higher standards, see them as less worthy of hire, promotion and management training, and offer them lower salaries, while frequently rewarding fathers for being parents. In the same paper, an audit study of real employers shows that employers call back mothers half as often as women without children. We are currently extending this research with an NSF-funded study of labor market discrimination based on the normative belief that mothers should be home with their children, even when they display irrefutable evidence of competence and commitment to paid work.
In another recent paper (with Robb Willer), in the March 2007 issue of the Journal of Mathematical Sociology, we extend the well-known Schelling segregation model to study the effects of wealth and status distributions on macro-patterns of residential choice. We find that the more correlated status and wealth, the more agents tend to segregate, either due to choice (for the wealthy and high status) or exclusion (for the poor and low status). We also find that status segregation only occurs when housing prices are determined endogenously, by the wealth of one's neighbors. The paper demonstrates one way in which inequality at the micro level might lead to macro-level structural changes.
I am also interested in systematically comparing and evaluating various theories of discrimination. A paper with Shelley Correll (in Social Psychology of the Workplace) compares status and statistical discrimination theories.
A new project, with Emilio Castilla, examines the relationship between meritocratic beliefs and gender bias in organizations.
I have served as a consultant on projects related to both conflict and cognitive bias. Please see my CV for more details.