She/Her/Hers

SARAH ARIEL LAMER

Principal Investigator

Dr. Lamer earned her Ph.D. in Social, Affective, and Cognitive Psychology from the University of Denver.  Prior to that, she earned her B.A. in Psychology with a certificate in Public Policy and Community Action from Connecticut College.  Her primary research interest is in examining the ways that social inequity develops and is maintained in sociocultural environments.  CV  Contact  Google Scholar ResearchGate  

She/Her/Hers

HALEY B. BECK

Graduate Student

Haley is a first-year doctoral student. She earned her B.S. in Psychology with a Sociology minor from Samford University and completed the Post-baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) at University of Alabama - Birmingham. Currently, she takes an intersectional approach in understanding social identity experiences, specifically exploring this in the context of gendered stereotype development/maintenance in children. She is also concerned with how intermediate social identities (e.g., multiracial, bi/pansexual, transgender/non-binary) are perceived by ingroup and outgroup others in sociocultural environments. When Haley is not doing research, she enjoys traveling, making dream catchers, walking in nature, and playing with her cat children.  CV  Contact

She/Her/Hers

DARLA BONAGURA

Graduate Student

Darla is an incoming first-year doctoral student who earned her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Critical Sexualities Studies from Rutgers University. She is interested in how stereotypes and cognitive biases influence prejudice and discrimination towards individuals based on their gender, race, and sexual orientation. She is particularly interested in how outgroup member’s perceptions of intermediate groups (bisexual/pansexual, transgender/non-binary, and biracial individuals) influences how they disclose their identities in different social contexts. Darla is also interested in interpersonal, legal, and health implications of prejudice towards LGBTQ+ people.  CV  Contact

She/Her/Hers

LIZ BARRON

Graduate Student

Liz is an incoming first-year doctoral student who earned her B.S. in Psychology with a Women’s Studies minor from Florida State University. She takes an intersectional feminist approach to research, aiming to identify various cultural and psychological mechanisms which preserve social inequity. Broadly, she is interested in investigating how popular media (e.g., TV, movies, news, social media, videogames) and sociocultural environments inform and bias cognitions and perceptions regarding gender, race, and sexual orientation. In her free time, Liz enjoys practicing yoga, cooking, baking, reading, and being outdoors.  CV  Contact

She/Her/Hers

JESSICA WYSOR

Post-Bacc Research Assistant/Project Manager

Jessica recently graduated from UT with dual degrees in Psychology and Advertising. As a psychology and advertising student, she is interested in psychology research because she wants to understand the role of the media in influencing people’s behavior and stereotypes. In her free time, she enjoys creating art and traveling.

He/Him/His

JACOB LOVIN

Post-Bacc Research Assistant/Project Manager

Jacob recently graduated from UT with a BA in Psychology.  He first got interested in psychology research because he wanted to understand why people feel the way they do about certain groups of people, and specifically what can cause people to exhibit intergroup hostility.  In his free time, he participates in Mock Trial, explores new music, and reads. 

She/Her/Hers

CLAUDIA LUU

Post-Bacc Research Assistant/Project Manager

Claudia recently graduated from UT with a major in Psychology. She became interested in psychology research because she wanted to explore and understand gender dynamics in gaming culture. In her free time, she enjoys baking desserts not offered in Knoxville, playing board/video games, and going on adventures with her friends.

He/Him/His

TANNER LAPERE

Research Assistant

Tanner is in his fourth year at UT and started to favor psychological explanations for social and interpersonal phenomena. He thought that the opportunity to be involved with this lab would be a fascinating hands on experience, eventually leading to developing explanations and answer questions of his own.  Outside of school, he enjoys gardening, knitting, hiking, and being outdoors.

She/Her/Hers

ASHLYN HAMMONDS

Research Assistant

Ashlyn is in her fourth year at UT majoring in neuroscience with a biological sciences concentration. She became interested in psychology research and wants to learn more about social perceptions and how these can be skewed based on media consumption. In her free time, she enjoys reading, listening to music, and hanging out with her friends.

She/Her/Hers

DANIELLE MASON

Research Assistant

Danielle is a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in psychology. She is interested in psychology research because she believes it is important to understand people and the way various encounters and messages affect them. In her free time, she loves to spend time with her dogs, get dinner with friends, and listen to her favorite music. 

She/Her/Hers

GILLIAN PRESTON

Research Assistant

Gillian is a fourth-year psychology undergraduate student at UT! She is interested in research because she wants to better understand the impact of technology on social behavior and cognition within children and adults. In her free time she enjoys watching crime documentaries, spending time with my cats, and going on nature walks!

She/Her/Hers

ANNA KLAES

Research Assistant

Anna is a second-year undergraduate student at UT majoring in Psychology and minoring in Sociology and Hispanic Studies. She is interested in Social Psychology research because she enjoys the perspective that social perception and cognition adds to the broader understanding of human behavior. She is passionate about understanding social inequalities and wants to use her work to serve underprivileged populations. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, being outdoors, cooking, and spending time with her friends and family.