The Devine Lab: Research on Stereotyping and Prejudice

Number of positions typically available each semester: 25
Minimum number of credit hours required: 3
Number of semesters student is expected to participate: 2

Project Description

Our lab is involved in a variety of research projects, most of which are related to the study of stereotypes and prejudice. At the beginning of the semester, our research assistants are presented with our various research projects and allowed to choose the project that interests them. The projects include research on individual differences in the way people experience and control the activation of stereotypes and prejudice in their thoughts, emotions, and behavior, and on the impact of situational cues on the expression of prejudice. Most of our research focuses on African Americans as the target of stereotyping and prejudice; however, we also have projects that examine prejudice toward women and toward gays and lesbians. We use a broad range of methods in our research, including cross cultural surveys, high-impact situational manipulations, priming and reaction time tasks, and electrophysiological measurement of brain activation (EEG), facial muscle activity (EMG), and emotion-modulated startle response. People working in our lab have the opportunity to gain experience with these methods at multiple stages of the research process, and their input into this process is valued highly.

Last but not least, Trish Devine is dynamic and fun to work with (according to her students), and she is always willing to meet with students to talk about research. Our lab's research maintains a high profile in the field, and favorable recommendations from Trish can carry a lot of weight in an application for a social psychology graduate program. Our lab is typically large and social. We have a lab potluck party every semester, and people usually end up making some good friends along the way.

Student's responsibilities

We expect lab assistants to spend 10 hours a week on lab activities. These include our weekly large group meeting (Fridays, 2:30-3:45, at Union South), weekly small group meetings with project leaders, and running individual experiments. Depending on the experiment, lab assistants may need to call participants, run simple computer programs, and/or engage in a little role play/acting. In addition, most of our effort at the beginning of the semester is focused on processing and entering data from the mass survey. We require everyone to put about 5 hours into this activity.

Applicants should possess the typical prerequisites for joining a research lab. We'll train people for anything they don't already know. Most importantly, students should be motivated, reliable and enthusiastic about working on the research team.

Contact

Becky McGill (rmcgill@wisc.edu)
Phone: 265-3960
Office: room 263
* e-mail is the best way to contact us