marikal@udel.edu
Research Statement
Teaching Statement
Quantitative Student Evaluations
Summarized Qualitative Student Evaluations
All Qualitative Student Evaluations
Research
My interest in the causes of
intergroup bias is exemplified by my
dissertation research, which assesses how perceptions of the outgroup’s
contribution to a collective goal influence cooperation’s effect. I have conducted two studies showing that when
groups believe that working with the outgroup is better than working
separately from the outgroup, bias is lower than when groups believe
working separately is better. The third
study in my dissertation (data collection occurring in the Fall of
2007) is assessing antecedents to perceptions of the outgroup’s
contribution.
My interest in the consequences of intergroup bias is exemplified by a diary study conducted with a colleague in Northern Ireland. We assessed university student’s daily social interactions for two weeks and found that when students did not know their interaction partners’ religious identities their interactions were less positive (e.g., more anxiety, less intimacy).
My
interest in the practical
methods of reducing intergroup bias is exemplified by my involvement in
an assessment of an intervention to reduce bias between graduate
students from different scientific fields in order to increase
productivity in the business environment (e.g., reducing bias between
PhD biologists and PhD chemists who may need to work together at a
multi-disciplinary company).
TeachingTeaching is very important to me. I have taught many classes and some of my most rewarding experiences have come from teaching. I consistently receive very positive feedback from my students (see the student evaluations posted to the left), and I am proud of the relationships I develop with my students.
My ultimate teaching goals are to teach students the course content and to teach them skills they will need to succeed (such as critical thinking or working in groups), regardless of whether they are planning on going to graduate school. I endeavor to create a relaxed and informal class environment so students feel comfortable taking intellectual risks during class. When students take risks they are more likely to try to make connections between seemingly unrelated material, and then they gain a deeper understanding of the material.
To get an idea of what taking a class with me is like, you can look at a few of my previous syllabi: Social Psychology for Majors and Minors and Research Methods. You may also look at my current course on WebCT. To login go to https://www.udel.edu/mycourses/, and use the following id and password.
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Password: 6rf9a5wd