Research
Implicit Evaluations
In a basic line of research, I have focused on implicit bivalence – the phenomenon that certain aspects of the environment are simultaneously associated with both positive and negative implicit evaluations. Previous research demonstrates that a specific person, including a significant other (e.g., mom, romantic partner) elicits bivalent (both positive and negative) implicit evaluations, whereas common attitude objects (e.g., chocolate, coffee) only elicit univalent (either positive or negative) implicit evaluations (Zayas & Shoda, 2015; Zayas et al., 2022).
Building on this literature, my research aims to answer two interrelated questions about what other targets trigger implicit bivalence and why such implicit bivalence emerges. To answer these research questions, I have conducted a series of studies that showed that even unknown others and non-human entities perceived as having a mind (i.e., social robots) elicit implicit bivalence. This line of work speaks to how people mentally represent a specific person, as well as how much of this cognitive architecture is recruited when making sense of other aspects of the environment, including non-human targets perceived to have a mind. It elucidates boundary conditions of implicit bivalence and sheds lights on underlying mechanisms for the emergence of implicit bivalence.
Ni, M., Lee, R. T., & Zayas, V. (under review). The bittersweetness of self-representations: Cross-cultural insights that the self triggers both positive and negative implicit evaluations.
Ni, M., & Zayas, V. (under review). Beyond human: Non-human minds elicit both positive and negative implicit evaluations.
Ni, M., & Zayas, V. (in prep.). The pervasiveness of the person implicit-bivalence effect: Even novel persons spontaneously elicit positive and negative implicit evaluations. (Writing Stage).
2. Biases in Professional Selection Processes
I have examined the effect of “sexy” social media photos on female vs. male candidates’ professional outcomes (Ni & Zayas, 2023, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology). With the prevalence of social media use, one unintended consequence is that social media users make available a wealth of personal information to others for social purposes, but this information may be used for making evaluations about professional outcomes. My work examined whether there is a double standard in how candidates’ “sexy” social media photos shape professional selection decisions. Through a series of experiments that asked participants to make hypothetical hiring decisions, I found that “sexy” social media photos disproportionately penalized female candidates in the professional selection process, suggesting evidence of double standards. My work identified a new route by which social media introduces gender biases in the professional selection process. It provides important practical implications for individuals seeking professional advancement and organizations seeking to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Ni, M., & Zayas, V. (2023). Sexy social media photos disproportionately penalize female candidates' professional outcomes: Evidence of a sexual double standard. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 109, 104504.
3. Confrontation of Biases
Raising awareness of biases is the first step towards overcoming them. One important way to raise awareness is through confrontation, both from targets of sexism, and from allyship of members from non-targeted groups. Through mentoring two honors thesis students, I worked on research related to the confrontation of sexism, focusing on investigating people’s reactions to sexism and how others evaluate the confronter. In the project on reactions to sexism (both blatant sexist remarks and sexism under the guise of “just jokes”), we conducted surveys in both an undergraduate student sample and a nationally representative sample in the United States. Results from both samples showed that participants recalled less likely to confront and to be confronted sexism when it was delivered as a joke vs. a non-humorous remark. Open-ended responses showed that people who were confronted after telling a sexist remark or joke reflected on their behaviors and were willing to make changes, suggesting the instrumental value of the confrontation to the perpetrator’s growth and development. Another survey experiment had participants (female undergraduate students) read an oblivious social media profile that contained sexist jokes and offered participants an opportunity to comment. Participants who confronted the joke in their comment (vs. those who did not) experienced a boost in positive mood, suggesting immediate intrapsychic benefits to the confronter. Certainly, more studies need to be conducted to establish the robustness and generalizability of these findings, but these studies illustrate the benefits of confrontation, both to the confronters and the confronted. Along the direction of this honors thesis project, I am interested in future work that advances our understanding of barriers to confrontation and how to design interventions that encourage confrontation to achieve its potential benefits.
