Leading researchers from across psychological science’s sub-disciplines come together to discuss current topics, bringing insight from their particular fields, in these featured programs.

Advances in Understanding Bias: A Focus on the Individual as Deeply Embedded in Macro Social Contexts

Questions concerning how structural elements of society relating to stigma and prejudice–including institutional policies and practices, as well as broad social norms–have aroused tremendous interest and debate over the past several years. While there has been general acknowledgement among psychologists that our work needs to address issues of social structure, most psychological approaches to this topic continue to focus on individual- or interpersonal-level characteristics. This panel will feature novel, interdisciplinary approaches that dynamically model the role that structural forces related to stigma and prejudice play in shaping core psychological processes. Discussion will focus on the need for future research to examine how structural, individual and interpersonal-level characteristics interact to build integrative models of stigma and prejudice.

This cross-cutting theme program will feature talks by:

Mark L. Hatzenbuehler, Harvard University

Thu Thi Xuan Nguyen, University of Maryland

Shige Oishi, University of Virginia

Heidi A. Vuletich, University of Denver

Mahzarin R. Banaji, Harvard University (Moderator)

Social Justice and Equity: Impacts on Health

This cross-cutting theme will examine how factors related to social justice and equity predict or inform disparities in health. A panel of experts will discuss their research on how racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic factors predict a range of mental and physical health disparities.

This cross-cutting theme program will feature talks by:

Noah Emery, Colorado State University

Ijeoma Opara, Yale University

Indira Turney, Columbia University

Vickie Mays, University of California, Los Angeles (Moderator)