My research interests lie in the intersection between intergroup relations and social justice research. Within this context my research focuses on the following three themes:
1. Sources of justice: People believe in a just world in which they receive the treatment and life outcomes they deserve. In this work I am interested in examining whom people consider to be the ultimate source of justice when they experience negative life events (e.g., death of a young child).
2. Inaction versus action in response to disadvantage: In this program of research I study determinants of inaction in response to different types of disadvantage (e.g., as ethnic minority, student). People often do not act out against experiences of disadvantage, such as when they are a target of discrimination. Why is this the case? And can we distinguish and predict different forms of inaction (e.g., acceptance, frustration)?
3. Female dominance: Although women less often attain high level positions and generally have lower status in society than men, in smaller groups the question of male dominance is less clear. In this line of research I combine insights from work on non-human primates to study determinants of female dominance in human primate groups.