Nilanjana Dasgupta

Research in our lab shines a light on unspoken assumptions about social groups, often called implicit stereotypes or biases, and the ways in which they impact people’s evaluations of, and actions toward, others. We also examine how implicit biases influence people's self-perceptions, performance, and academic and career choices. We are particularly interested in the plasticity of implicit bias—the ways in which changes in social contexts change implicit attitudes, beliefs, and behavior.

Our work is translational—moving back-and-forth between controlled lab experiments and naturalistic field studies, so that knowledge from all sources enriches theory development. We are interested in translating the deliverables from our research to inform social problems such as employment discrimination, educational disparities in science, engineering, and mathematics, and the underrepresentation of women and ethnic minorities in professional leadership roles.

In collaboration with graduate students and postdocs, my current research identifies the types of academic and professional contexts that protect individuals' sense of self and aspirations against negative stereotypes. My research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and the American Psychological Foundation. 

For more information, please visit my personal website.

Social Psychology
Research Methods
Social Cognition
Intergroup Relations
Stereotyping and Prejudice
Affect & Cognition
Self & Identity

NOTICE: The following linked articles have been password protected in accordance with current web publishing copyright laws. To obtain a copy of the document password, please send an email to dasgupta@psych.umass.edu—the password will be sent to you. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Publications in chronological order:

Dasgupta, N. (2015). Role models and peers as a social vaccine to enhance women's self-concept in STEM. The American Society for Cell Biology. Retrieved from http://www.ascb.org/role-models-and-peers-as-a-social-vaccine-to-enhance-womens-self-concept-in-stem/. [get paper]

Dasgupta, N., McManus Scircle, M., & Hunsinger, M. (2015). Female peers in small work groups enhance women's motivation, verbal participation, and career aspirations in engineering. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, accessed online from http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2015/04/03/1422822112. [get paper]

Ajzen, I., & Dasgupta, N. (2015). Explicit and implicit beliefs, attitudes, and intentions. In B. Eitam & P. Haggard (Eds.), Human Agency: Functions and Mechanisms. UK: Oxford University Press. [get paper]

Yogeeswaran, K. & Dasgupta, N. (2014). Conceptions of national identity in a globalised world: Antecedents and consequences. European Review of Social Psychology, 25(1), 189–227 [get paper]

Dasgupta, N. & Stout, J.G. (2014). Girls and women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics: STEMing the tide and broadening participation in STEM careers. Policy Insights from Behavioral and Brain Sciences. [get paper]

Yogeeswaran, K, & Dasgupta, N. (2014). The devil is in the details: Abstract versus concrete construals of multiculturalism differentially impact intergroup relations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 106, 772-789. [get paper]

Blair, I.V., Dasgupta, N., & Glaser, J. (2014). Implicit attitudes. In M. Mikulincer, P. R. Shaver, E. (Eds.), APA Handbook of Personality and Social Psychology, Volume 1: Attitudes and social cognition (pp. 665-691). Washington DC: American Psychological Association. [get paper]

Yogeeswaran, K., Adelman, L., Parker, M.T., & Dasgupta, N. (2014). In the eyes of the beholder: White Americans' national identification predicts differential reactions to ethnic identity expressions. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology. [get paper]

Stout, J. G., & Dasgupta, N. (2013). Mastering one's destiny mastery goals promote challenge and success despite social identity threat. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 39(6), 748-762. [get paper]

Dasgupta, N. (2013). Implicit attitudes and beliefs adapt to situations: A decade of research on the malleability of implicit prejudice, stereotypes, and the self-concept. In P.G. Devine and E.A. Plant (Eds.). Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 47, 233-279. UK: Academic Press. [get paper]

Yogeeswaran, K., Dasgupta, N., & Gomez, C. (2012). A new American dilemma? The effect of ethnic identification and public service on the national inclusion of ethnic minorities. European Journal of Social Psychology. 42(6), 691-705. [get paper]

Dasgupta, N., & Stout, J. G. (2012). Contemporary discrimination in the lab and real world: Benefits and obstacles of full-cycle social psychology. Journal of Social Issues, 68, 399-412. [get paper]

Kang, J., Bennett, M., Carbado, D., Casey, P., Dasgupta, N., Faigman, D., Godsil, R., Greenwald, A. G., Levinson, J., & Mnookin, J. (2012). Implicit bias in the courtroom. UCLA Law Review, 59, 1124-1186. [get paper]

Bilali, R., Tropp, L. R., & Dasgupta, N. (2012). Attributions of responsibility and perceived harm in the aftermath of mass violence. Peace & Conflict, 18, 21-39. [get paper]

Asgari, S., Dasgupta, N., & Stout, J. G. (2012). When do counterstereotypic ingroup members inspire vs. deflate? The effect of successful professional women on women's leadership self-concept. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 38, 370-383. [get paper]

Dasgupta, N. (2011). Ingroup experts and peers as social vaccines who inoculate the self-concept: The stereotype inoculation model. Psychological Inquiry, 22, 231-246. [get paper]

Stout, J.G., & Dasgupta, N. (2011). When he doesn't mean you: Gender-exclusive language as ostracism for women. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37, 757-769. [get paper]

Yogeeswaran, K., Dasgupta, N., Adelman, L., Eccelston, A., & Parker, M. (2011). To be or not to be (ethnic): The hidden cost of ethnic identification for Americans of European and non-European origin. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 47, 908-914. [get paper]

Dasgupta, N., & Yogeeswaran, K. (2011). Obama-Nation? Implicit beliefs about American nationality and the possibility of redefining who counts as “truly” American. In G.S. Parks & M.W. Hughey (Eds.). The Obamas and a (Post)-Racial America? New York, NY: Oxford University Press. [get paper]

Kang, J., Dasgupta, N., Yogeeswaran, K., & Blasi, G. (2010). Are ideal litigators White? Measuring the myth of colorblindness. Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, 7, 886-915.[get paper]

Stout, J. G., Dasgupta, N., Hunsinger, M., & McManus, M. (2011). STEMing the tide: Using ingroup experts to inoculate women’s self-concept and professional goals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 100, 255-270. [get paper]

Asgari, S., Dasgupta, N., & Gilbert Cote, N. (2010). When does contact with successful ingroup members change self-stereotypes? A longitudinal study comparing the effect of quantity vs. quality of contact with successful individuals. Social Psychology, 41, 202-211. [get paper]

Dasgupta, N. (2010). Implicit measures of social cognition: Common themes and unresolved questions. Zeitschrift fur Psychologie / Journal of Psychology, 218, 54-57. [get paper]

Yogeeswaran, K., & Dasgupta, N. (2010). Will the “real” American please stand up? The effect of implicit stereotypes about nationality on discriminatory behavior. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 36, 1332-1345. [get paper]

Jost, J.T., Rudman, L.A., Blair, I.V., Carney, D.R., Dasgupta, N.. Glaser, J. & Hardin, C.D. (2009). The existence of implicit bias is beyond reasonable doubt: A refutation of ideological and methodological objections and executive summary of ten studies that no manager should ignore.In A. Brief & B. M. Staw (Eds.), Research in Organizational Behavior. New York, Elsevier.[get paper]

Dasgupta, N., DeSteno, D.A., Williams, L., & Hunsinger, M. (2009). Fanning the flames of prejudice: The influence of specific incidental emotions on implicit prejudice. Emotion, 9, 585-591.[get paper]

Dasgupta, N. (2009). Mechanisms underlying malleability of implicit prejudice and stereotypes: The role of automaticity versus cognitive control. In T. Nelson (Ed.), Handbook of Prejudice, Stereotyping, and Discrimination. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. [get paper]

Dasgupta, N. & Hunsinger, M. (2008). The opposite of a great truth is also true: When do studentsamples help versus hurt the scientific study of prejudice? Psychological Inquiry, 19, 1-9. [get paper]

Dasgupta, N., & Rivera, L. M. (2008). When social context matters: The influence of long-term contact and short-term exposure to admired outgroup members on implicit attitudes and behavioral intentions. Social Cognition, 26, 54-66. [get paper]

Dasgupta, N. (2008). Color lines in the mind: Unconscious prejudice, discriminatory behavior, and the potential for change. In A. Grant-Thomas & G. Orfield (Eds.), 21st Century Color Lines: Exploring the Frontiers of America's Multicultural Future. [get paper]

Faigman, D. L., Dasgupta, N., & Ridgeway, C. L. (2008). A matter of fit: The law of discrimination and the science of implicit bias. University of California Hastings Law Journal, 60, 1389-1434. [get paper]

McCall, C., & Dasgupta, N. (2007). The malleability of men’s gender self-concepts. Self and Identity, 6, 173-188. [get paper]

Dasgupta, N., & Rivera, L. M. (2006).  From automatic anti-gay prejudice to behavior: The moderating role of conscious beliefs about gender and behavioral control. Journal of personality and Social Psychology, 91, 268-280. [get paper]

Dasgupta, N., & Asgari, S. (2004). Seeing is believing: Exposure to counterstereotypic women leaders and its effect on automatic gender stereotyping. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 40, 642-658. [get paper]

Dasgupta, N. (2004). Implicit ingroup favoritism, outgroup favoritism, and their behavioral manifestations.  Social Justice Research, 17, 143-169. [get paper]

DeSteno, D. A., Dasgupta, N., Bartlett, M. Y., & Cajdric, A. (2004). Prejudice from thin air: The
effect of emotion on automatic intergroup attitudes.  Psychological Science, 15, 319-324. [get paper]

Dasgupta, N., Greenwald, A. G., & Banaji, M. R. (2003).  The first ontological challenge to the IAT: Attitude or mere familiarity? Psychological Inquiry, 14, 238-243. [get paper]

Eberhardt, J. L., Dasgupta, N., & Banaszynski, T. (2003). Believing is seeing: The effects of racial labels and implicit beliefs on face perception.Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29, 360-370. [get paper]

Uhlmann, E., Dasgupta, N., Greenwald, A.G., Elgueta, A., & Swanson, J. (2002).  Skin color based subgroup prejudice among Hispanics in the United States and Latin America. Social Cognition, 20, 197-224. [get paper]

Dasgupta, N., & Greenwald, A.G. (2001).  On the malleability of automatic attitudes: Combating automatic prejudice with images of admired and disliked individuals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 81, 800-814. [get paper]

Dasgupta, N., McGhee, D.E., Greenwald, A.G., & Banaji, M.R. (2000).  Automatic preference for White Americans: Eliminating the familiarity explanation.  Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 36, 316-328. [get paper]

Dasgupta, N., Banaji, M.R., & Abelson, R.P. (1999).  Group entitativity and group perception: Associations between physical features and psychological judgment.  Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77, 991-1003. [get paper]

Abelson, R.P., Dasgupta, N., Park, J., & Banaji, M.R. (1998).  Perceptions of the collective other.  Personality and Social Psychology Review, 2, 243-250. [get paper]

Banaji, M.R., & Dasgupta, N. (1998).  The consciousness of social beliefs: A program of research on stereotyping and prejudice.  In V.Y. Yzerbyt, G. Lories, & B. Dardenne (Eds.), Metacognition: Cognitive and social dimensions. Great Britain: Sage Publications. [get paper]

Manuscripts under review or in preparation:

Asgari, S., Dasgupta, N & Stout, J. G. (invited revision). When do role models help vs. hurt? The effectiveness of counterstereotypic role models in changing implicit self- stereotypes. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

Chi, E., Hunsinger, M. & Dasgupta, N. (in preparation). The impact of violent videogames on race bias.

Rivera, L. M., & Dasgupta, N. (in preparation). When feeling good is bad: The negative effect of self-affirmation on prejudice.

Rivera, L.M., & Dasgupta, N. (in preparation). Traditional beliefs about gender and gender identity.

Steffens, M. C., Dasgupta, N., & Jelenec, P. (in preparation). When math becomes male: Stereotype-salient testing conditions, implicit math-gender steretoypes, and test performance in math vanguards.

Yogeeswaran, K., Dasgupta, N., & Gomez, C. (under review). A new American dilemma? The effect of ethnic identification and public service on the national inclusion of groups.