Research

Countries across the globe are paralyzed by intergroup conflict. Whether driven by religious disagreement, racial tensions, or political polarization, understanding the mechanisms that drive intergroup conflict are paramount to reducing it. Our lab focuses on investigating what contributes to intergroup conflict and developing interventions to directly combat conflict and promote peace. 

We use surveys, experiments, and large-scale field studies to characterize the psychological bases of intergroup conflicts. We develop and test both novel and existing community building intervention strategies aimed at reducing hostility towards minoritized and marginalized groups (e.g., Muslims, African Americans, refugees, the Roma) and between groups involved in active ideological and/or violent conflict (e.g., Democrats and Republicans, Israelis and Palestinians). 

Select ongoing projects include:

• Investigating political polarization and religious conflict across the globe
• Reducing political polarization through meta-perception interventions
• Improving attitudes toward immigrants through field interventions