Faculty and Staff Directory

Introduction

I received training in Experimental Social Psychology. I received my B.A. in Psychology and Biology from Bard College in New York (2010), and my M.A. & Ph.D. in Social Psychology from New York University (2013; 2016). Before joining UW Tacoma, I was an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY (2016-2017), and a Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology at Macalester College in St Paul, MN (2015-2016).

Current Research

In general, I take a social cognitive approach to understanding how identities, including social, racial, and ethnic, identities, and various intergroup processes can shape our perception, attitudes, and actions. I have, along with my colleagues, proposed a Perceptual Model of Intergroup Relations, which outlines the role of perception in intergroup processes (Xiao et al., 2016, Psychological Inquiry). I have empirically evaluated the model in my doctoral dissertation and follow up research, examining the role of biased perception in simulated police decision making process involving members of racial minorities. In some of my current work, I explore the role of racial/ethnic identities in how Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) react to and cope with stigmatization and discrimination. In another line of work, I’ve tested interventions targeting implicit biases, with a focus on identity-based interventions. Taken together, my research examines how identities shape the most basic elements on human cognition, and provides broader implications for promoting social justice.

Teaching

Courses that I currently offer or previously offered:

• Social Psychology
• Fundamentals of Psychological Research I
• Fundamentals of Psychological Research II
• Stereotyping, Prejudice & Discrimination
• Attitudes & Persuasion
• Automaticity & Control
• Asian American Psychology

Affiliations

• Asian American Psychological Association (AAPA)
• Asian Association of Social Psychology (AASP)
• Minds Matter Seattle
• Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP)
• Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI)