Bailey Identity and Social Cognition Lab
How can we create a more inclusive, equitable society for all?
Does your language influence how you think about different social groups? If you think of an identity as biologically caused versus socially constructed, does that matter? Why do children and adults tell more stories about boys than girls? When you think of a "person," who comes to mind?
Led by Dr. April Bailey at the University of New Hampshire, the BIAS lab investigates questions about social groups from a social cognitive perspective. Broadly, we're interested in how the mind works and how this can result in inequity and discrimination. We study biases based on gender, race, and sexual orientation alongside other group dimensions, identities, and their intersections. We also address concepts, essentialism, impression formation, nonverbal behavior, and power, as well as applied consequences of bias for psychological well-being, organizational leadership, and fairness in AI. Our research has been featured in popular outlets including Scientific American and Psychology Today.
Research and Media Highlights
2023: Dr. Bailey spoke at the University of Connecticut about the BIAS lab's research
2023: Bailey, A. H., & Knobe, J. (2023). Biological essentialism correlates with (but doesn’t cause?) intergroup bias. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.
2023: Dr. Bailey spoke about her recent research on the Opinion Science podcast
2022: Bailey, A. H., Williams, A., & Cimpian, A. (2022). Based on billions of words on the internet, PEOPLE = MEN. Science Advances. (Media Coverage)
Lab News
2023: BIAS Lab presented posters at the Live Free Symposium in Durham, New Hampshire.
2023: Research Coordinator Nich DiMaggio is accepted to the Chicago Booth School of Business Behavioral Science PhD Program. Congratulations Nich!
2023: The BIAS Lab was awarded a Live Free grant through the Global, Racial, and Social Inequality Lab at UNH.
2023: The BIAS Lab welcomed research assistants Alexandra, Erin, and Paige to the lab.
2022: The BIAS Lab is founded at the University of New Hampshire.
From left: Erin, Dr. Bailey, Paige and Alexandra presenting at the Live Free Symposium