Beyond social psychological phenomena, material realities and social policies also influence political attitudes and behavior. One such policy is guaranteed or basic income. I am part of a cross-national team designing an evaluation of guaranteed income. This program takes place in post-Colombia, testing the ability for guaranteed income to foster social cohesion.

Diversity--particularly religious diversity--is often discussed as contributing to intergroup conflict. In cross-cultural field studies, we show that religious people--be they Palestinians, Israelis, Americans, or Fijians--perceive religious belief and God as motivating greater intergroup cooperation, trust, and equality.

How we think about the nature and cause of conflicts shapes prospects for resolution or prolongation of conflict. Conflicts in the Middle East in particular are often framed as stemming from intractable religious enmity. My work with Israelis and Palestinians challenges this portrayal. Further, I show that religious conflict framing causes American perceivers to be more pessimistic that the conflict can be solved and that mediation would work.

Inequality and repression are deepening across political, economic, and social domains. As rights rollbacks and democratic backsliding intensify, an atmosphere of sociopolitical threat has become a defining feature of civic life. While these conditions may seem ripe for cross-group solidarity among members of different marginalized groups, they just as often provoke fragmentation and intergroup mistrust. My research addresses a fundamental question for diverse societies: Why do some threats galvanize inclusive coalition-building while others engender division? Under what conditions do people facing marginalization decide to cooperate across group lines, and under what conditions do they splinter into mistrust?

In new work, I am investigating:

How does exposure to chronic hardship (such as violence or poverty) influence decision making?

How do temporal perceptions support or undermine progress towards social equality? If people believe that progress will be achieved in a linear fashion with the passing of time--rather than deliberate intervention in unequal systems--how does this influence political behavior, policy orientations, and theories of change?