Research & Publications
Research Interests
Social disadvantage
Understanding stigma and inequity in social, organizational, educational, and political domains, esp. the advancement of women in leadership
Building moral consensus
Bridging disagreement and divergent perspectives on injustice/conflict; promoting trust and value consensus within and between groups.
Justice repair and reconciliation
Understanding and reconciling diverse ideas about what is required to do “justice” in the aftermath of a transgression.
Current
Grant Projects
Well-being and Productivity in Metricised Employee Performance Systems
Discovery Project, Australian Research Council
The objective of the grant project is to account for and understand the impact that the increased use of digitized monitoring, performance measurement, and metric systems are having on the workforce. The project will help us gain greater understanding into why, when and how these systems are likely to have a positive rather than a negative impact on employee motivation, well-being, and performance. If you are implementing this type of system in your organization and are interested in partnering for insights, please contact us!
Mapping the Psychology of Accent Bias
Discovery Project, Australian Research Council
Accent bias is commonplace, but our understanding of why people discriminate against certain accents is limited. This project will develop a Global Database for Accented English, an archive of piloted speech samples that will dramatically reduce interpretational difficulties plaguing existing research. This resource will enable the most robust test to date of what causes accent bias in schools and workplaces. Experiments will also examine the conditions under which accent bias is most pronounced, and why its effects are particularly strong for women. Understanding mechanisms underpinning accent bias is a precondition for reducing a problem that threatens Australia’s status as a successful and economically vital multicultural society.
New Report on the Barriers against Women in Cyber Security
This industry-focused research report was developed for and with cyber security professionals. It offers insights into the barriers preventing women's career progression in the cyber security industry, from early education through to leadership. Although the research was conducted in the Australian context, the challenges identified are (unfortunately) familiar and broadly applicable. The report also shares forward-looking insights for advancing a more equitable profession.
PAPERS DRAWING MAJOR MEDIA COVERAGE
Apologies demanded yet devalued: Normative dilution in the age of apology
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Featured on The Hidden Brain (June 2021), top 20 most popular podcast globally (2-3 million downloads per episode, and syndication on 350+ U.S. public radio stations
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Television news features: Netflix:Explained (September 2021), episode on apologies; international viewership with 209 million paid subscriptions
Refusing to apologize can have psychological benefits
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Radio news features: NPR Morning Show (2013), ABC Radio (2018)
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Major media mentions: Forbes (2023),
New York Times (x2: 2019, 2017), SBS News, Business Insider (2010), The Atlantic, Guardian (2017), Rush Limbaugh, GloboTV News, UK Daily Mail, Huffington Post, London Evening Standard, Psychology Today, Scientific American (2013)
The price of power: Power-seeking and backlash against female politicians
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Featured in the 2020 book by Julia Gillard & Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Women and leadership (Ch. 7, p.174-190).
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Featured in the Harvard Kennedy School, Women and Public Policy Program's Gender Action Portal (GAP) aimed at closing gender gaps in business, politics, health, and education.
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Reviewed as part of a front page article in The New York Times (12 Feb, 2019)
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Other major media mentions: The New York Times (2020), The Atlantic (x5: 2016-2020), Chicago Tribune (2019), Washington Post, New York Magazine, Slate, National Post (2016), Business Insider (2015), Pacific Standard, World Science (2010)
Why are women penalized for success at male tasks?
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Television news features: PBS News, ABC’s Good Morning America, December 4, 2007
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Major media mentions: The New York Times (x2: 2019, 2020), The Atlantic (x2: 2014), Forbes (x2: 2019, 2021), Sydney Morning Herald, Business Insider (multiple), Scientific American
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Featured article in the American Association of University Women 2010 policy report: Why so few? Women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (pp.81-87).
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Reviewed in a National Academies Press 2014 policy report promoting equal opportunity in the U.S. military: The context of military environments.
Participate in a research study
Vigilantes might not just exist in Gotham City, they might also be in your workplace! Research shows that employees can sometimes take justice into their own hands by monitoring and punishing their coworkers when they do not have the formal authority to do so. Have you ever experienced this in your workplace? If so, our experts want to hear about it.
We are looking for adult volunteers to have their say in a research survey about their experiences of workplace vigilantes.
Eligibility criteria:
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Participants who are 18 years or older and have work experience
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Can read and write in English fluently
If you meet the above criteria and are happy to anonymously contribute, please complete the 15-minute survey.
