Zach C. Schudson
Assistant Professor of Psychology, California State University, Sacramento
I study how people's beliefs about social categories influence their self-concepts and perceptions of others.
​
Self-concepts
​
Driving questions
How do people come to understand their own genders and sexualities? How do they find and choose certain language to express their identities? How do minorities and majorities alike think about and experience their genders and sexualities? How can researchers better account for diversity in gender and sexual self-concepts?
​
Perceptions of others
Driving questions
How are intergroup attitudes affected by essentialist beliefs (i.e., social categories are defined by a biological, unchangeable essence) and social constructionist beliefs (i.e., social categories are defined by sociocultural influences)? How do beliefs about gender and/or sex affect people's attitudes toward transgender and non-binary people? Can changing people's beliefs about social categories change their attitudes about marginalized groups?