Research Interests
Dr. Stern's research broadly examines how belief systems and motivations guide the way that people perceive and interact with the world. One central line of work concerns how political belief systems (e.g., whether a person is liberal or conservative) shape the way in which people evaluate and categorize others based on group membership (e.g., race, sex, and sexual orientation). Another line of work examines consensus in political groups, and the implications of both perceived and actual attitude consensus for individual behavior (e.g., voting) and large-scale societal outcomes (e.g., levels of societal stability).
Research Description
Dr. Stern's research broadly examines how belief systems and motivations guide the way that people perceive and interact with the world. One central line of work concerns how political belief systems (e.g., whether a person is liberal or conservative) shape the way in which people evaluate and categorize others based on group membership (e.g., race, sex, and sexual orientation). Another line of work examines consensus in political groups, and the implications of both perceived and actual attitude consensus for individual behavior (e.g., voting) and large-scale societal outcomes (e.g., levels of societal stability).
For prospective students:
Dr. Stern will be reviewing doctoral applications in the 2023-2024 admissions cycle.
Education
Ph.D., New York University
Additional Campus Affiliations
Provost Fellow, Office of the Provost
External Links
Recent Publications
Spielmann, J., Feng, S., Briley, D. A., & Stern, C. (2022). Mental Health Contributors Among Transgender People in a Non-WEIRD Society: Evidence From China. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 13(3), 747-757. https://doi.org/10.1177/19485506211039388
Stern, C. (2022). Political ideology and social categorization. In B. Gawronski (Ed.), Advances In Experimental Social Psychology (pp. 167-233). (Advances in Experimental Social Psychology; Vol. 65). Academic Press Inc.. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.aesp.2021.11.003
Stern, C., & Axt, J. (2022). Were Americans’ Political Attitudes Linked to Objective Threats From COVID-19? An Examination of Data From Project Implicit During Initial Months of the Pandemic. Personality and social psychology bulletin, 48(12), 1682-1700. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672211052121
Ruisch, B. C., & Stern, C. (2021). The Confident Conservative: Ideological Differences in Judgment and Decision-Making Confidence. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 150(3), 527-544. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000898
Spielmann, J., & Stern, C. (2021). Gender transition shapes perceived sexual orientation. Self and Identity, 20(4), 463-477. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298868.2019.1614976