Angela Bell
Assistant Professor
About
I am a social psychologist who is interested in both social and cognitive biases that influence intergroup relations and members of stigmatized groups. I am particularly interested in answering questions such as: (1) Why do people fail to recognize their own racism but seem capable of identifying racism in others? (2) Which social and cognitive factors influence attributions and judgments of prejudice? (3) How do stereotypes and stigma shape one’s health and well-being?
To address these questions, I’ve published work on asymmetrical self-other judgments of prejudice, self-stereotyping in women, Native American stereotypes, measuring masculine self-concept, and ingroup projection as an impediment to bipartisanship in US politics. I’ve also applied my research interests as a community organizer in the field of psychological science, and I am a co-Principal Investigator on the NSF-funded initiative, Flourish: A network for pre-tenure faculty of color in personality/social psychology.
Currently, my research program primarily investigates how people make judgments about themselves and others. Specifically, I examine how social comparison biases (e.g., the better-than-average effect) and the self-enhancement motive (i.e., the need to view oneself positively) might inform people’s racism denials, one’s ability to detect and reduce prejudice in oneself, and support for anti-racist actions.
I am excited to join the CCCR to deepen my own learning and expand my research community.