BIO

My name is Ria Shah and I am from Orlando, FL. As a current third-year student at Florida State University, I am pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Child Development and Criminology. My passion lies in unraveling the intricacies of human behavior and exploring the mind-body connection. My long-term goal is to earn a PhD following my undergraduate studies, with a specific focus on children and adolescents. Engaging in the Social Cognition Lab, I immerse myself in research that mirrors my commitment to challenging biases, prejudices, and stereotypes. Beyond the realms of psychology, I serve as the Director of Intellectual Development for the 1910 Honorary and hold memberships in both the Garnet and Gold Key Leadership Honorary and the Psi Chi Honor Society at FSU.

Examining Stereotypical Influence on Perceptions of Other's Behaviors

Abstract

This project aims to investigate the impact of individuals' occupations on the formation of Spontaneous Trait Inferences (STIs) and how stereotypes associated with these occupations influence impression formation. STIs are spontaneous and effortless impressions people form about others based on observed behaviors. The study is motivated by the recognition that people often make stereotypes about occupations, which may influence how they interpret observed behaviors and form STIs. For example, some may associate janitors with being unclean or unsanitary due to the nature of their job. We examine, for example, whether that stereotype interferes with people’s tendency to STIs form a janitor’s sanitary behavior. To test STIs from simple behaviors, we create a novel stimulus set including a diverse range of behaviors representative of various occupations. Participants will rate the prevalence of stereotypes associated with a set of occupations and determine whether the behaviors imply stereotypical or non-stereotypical traits. This methodology allows us to examine how individuals attribute traits to others based on both occupational stereotypes and observed behaviors in real-world contexts. By employing this approach, we aim to uncover the underlying mechanisms of impression formation and explore the relative influence of occupational stereotypes and behaviors on individuals' STIs. Ultimately, this research contributes to advancing our knowledge of person perception and social cognition by elucidating the cognitive processes involved in impression formation within naturalistic settings.

Keywords: Spontaneous Trait Inferences