Intergroup Cognition Lab

In the Intergroup Cognition Lab, we are interested in learning about children’s beliefs about other people. We want to understand why people sometimes make judgments about individuals based on social groups (e.g. race, gender, socioeconomic status) rather than who they are as individuals. We are also investigating ways to prevent children from using group stereotypes or attitudes to guide their behavior.

 

 

Research Projects

Children’s Reasoning about Inequality

Who do children share with – those who have more, or those who have less? We want to understand what children think of people who have different amounts of money, and how these beliefs affect who they decide to share with. We are looking for children ages 7-10 to come to our lab on campus. Participation takes about 30 minutes and involves reading short stories about different characters, deciding which characters to share with, and giving reasons for their sharing decisions.

Learning New Math Strategies

What types of examples are most effective when students are learning new math strategies? We want to understand how children learn math from different people represented in textbooks. Our lab is working with the Social Cognitive Development Lab to conduct this study.

 

 

People

Dr. Antonya Gonzalez

Dr. Antonya Gonzalez

Director of the Intergroup Cognition Lab

Dr. Gonzalez joined the psychology faculty at Western in 2018. She earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the University of British Columbia, and prior to that, received her B.A. in Psychology from Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Gonzalez’s current research investigates what types of beliefs children have about members of different social groups and how these beliefs affect children’s behavior toward these individuals. In past work she has studied children’s stereotypes and attitudes about race, gender, and wealth, as well as interventions to reduce harmful biases. She currently teaches upper-level psychology classes about social cognition and socioemotional development. Outside of the office, Dr. Gonzalez enjoys hiking, travelling, yoga, and running. 

 

Max Lau

Max Lau

Research Assistant

Max is a Junior at Western majoring in Psychology and minoring in Classical Studies. Outside of the lab Max works in Western's housing department, and after graduating plans on pursuing a Master's in Social Work, hoping to apply his experiences in research and working with children to his future involvement in the mental health world. 

Publications

Gonzalez, A.M., Steele, J.R., Chan, E.F., Lim, S.A., & Baron, A.S. (2020) Developmental differences in the malleability of implicit racial bias following exposure to counterstereotypical exemplars. Developmental Psychology.

Gonzalez, A.M., Oh, H.J.J., & Baron, A.S. (2020). The hidden classroom: How gender stereotypes impact academic achievement. Cambridge Handbook of Applied School Psychology.

Block, K., Gonzalez, A.M., Schmader, T., & Baron, A.S. (2018). Early gender differences in core values predict anticipated family versus career orientation. Psychological Science.

Gonzalez, A.M., Dunlop, W., & Baron, A.S. (2017). Malleability of implicit associations across development. Developmental Science.

Gonzalez, A.M., Steele, J.R., & Baron, A.S. (2017). Reducing children’s implicit racial bias through exposure to positive out-group exemplars. Child Development.