Social Psychology Network

Maintained by Scott Plous, Wesleyan University

Mary Murphy

Mary Murphy

  • Media Contact
  • SPN Mentor

My research focuses on developing and testing theories about how people's social identities and group memberships (e.g., race, gender) interact with the contexts they encounter to affect their thoughts, feelings, behaviors, physiology, and motivation. I have several lines of research that explore questions such as:

(1) How is identity threat signaled to people with stigmatized or stereotyped social identities?
(2) Which cues can be added to threatening settings to make them more comfortable for people who are stigmatized or devalued?
(3) How do environments signal that their organization welcomes diversity, and how is that interpreted by newcomers?
(4) Why do women leave math, science, and engineering fields at a much greater rate than men?
(5) Why are interracial interactions often uncomfortable for both majority and minority members? What can we do to lessen that discomfort?
(6) What are the effects of interracial friendship for majority and minority members?

Through the development of these research streams, my colleagues and I hope to contribute to a better understanding of how diverse environments may be created and sustained so that all individuals can thrive.

Primary Interests:

  • Attitudes and Beliefs
  • Culture and Ethnicity
  • Gender Psychology
  • Group Processes
  • Intergroup Relations
  • Interpersonal Processes
  • Motivation, Goal Setting
  • Nonverbal Behavior
  • Organizational Behavior
  • Prejudice and Stereotyping
  • Self and Identity
  • Social Cognition

Research Group or Laboratory:

Journal Articles:

Other Publications:

  • Murphy, M. C., & Taylor, V. J. (2012). The role of situational cues in signaling and maintaining stereotype threat. To appear in M. Inzlicht and T. Schmader (Eds.), Stereotype threat: Theory, process, and applications. New York: Oxford University Press.

Courses Taught:

  • Contemporary Issues in Psychology
  • Current Topics in Social Psychology
  • Emerging Research Issues
  • Interpersonal and Group Processes
  • Social Psychology
  • Stereotyping and Prejudice

Mary Murphy
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences
Indiana University
1101 E. 10th Street
Bloomington, Indiana 47405
United States of America

  • Phone: (812) 855-4581
  • Fax: (812) 855-4691

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