Faculty

Benjamin A. Saunders

Assistant Professor of Psychology

B.A., University of MichiganM.A., University of Illinois at ChicagoPh.D., University of Illinois at Chicago

benjamin.saunders@liu.edu

Description

Dr. Saunders recently completed his doctoral work in social psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He was raised in the Chicago area and earned an undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Michigan.

Dr. Saunders recently has presented papers and posters at both regional and national conferences in psychology, including conferences sponsored by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, The Association for Psychological Science and the Midwestern Psychological Association, to name a few.

His dissertation research examined whether people are socially rejected for behaving in positive-but-counter-stereotypical ways and what implications these results may have for discourse on the racial academic achievement gap.

Specialties

In-Group Dynamics, Racial Stereotypes and Prejudice, Racial Identity, Self-Worth Contingencies, Academic Identity and Achievement, Social Justice, Morality, Entitlement and Fairness Reasoning, Political Tolerance

Publications

• Co-author, “Dark clouds and silver linings: Socio-psychological responses to September 11, 2001,” published in “The Day that Changed Everything? Looking at the Impact of 9-11 at the End of the Decade” (in press)
• Co-author, “Who Will Volunteer? Religiosity, Everyday Racism and Social Participation Among African American Men,” published in the Journal of Adult Development (2004)
• Author, “Stereotype Threat and Academic Disengagement: The Role of Self-Worth Contingencies,” poster session presented at the 9th annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Albuquerque, N.M. (2008)
• Co-author, “Too Contrary for Comfort? When In-Group Members Display Positive but Prototypically Out-Group Behavior,” poster session presented at the 8th annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Memphis, Tenn. (2007)
• Co-author, “The Impact of Affirmations on Political Tolerance,” poster session presented at the 18th annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science, New York, N.Y. (2006)
• Author, “Exploring Potential Moderators of Stereotype Threat: The Role of Academic Identity,” symposium conducted at the 76th annual meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, Ill. (2005)