Intergroup Relations Lab

Dr. Alison Chasteen

Principal Investigator

Alison Chasteen received her BA from Kalamazoo College and her PhD from Washington University in St. Louis.  She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan before joining the University of Toronto. She is a social psychologist with specialized training in aging and cognition. She is a consulting editor for the journal Psychology and Aging and serves as a reviewer for numerous social psychology and aging journals.

Maria Iankilevitch

Doctoral Student

I examine how intersecting identities influence intergroup attitudes from both the targets’ and the perceivers’ perspectives. In one line of work, I explore first impressions of intergroup romantic relationships, such as interracial and interfaith couples, using both explicit and implicit methods. I investigate ratings of these intergroup couples as a whole as well as evaluations of each member of the couple individually. In a second yet related line of work, I explore evaluations of mixed-race and mixed-faith individuals. Broadly, I am interested in deepening our understanding of intergroup relations from an intersectional perspective.

Jordana Schiralli

Doctoral Student

I have two main lines of research in the area of prejudice and stereotyping. My first line of research examines how targets are perceived when confronting prejudice, particularly when prejudice is benevolent. In this research, I am interested in investigating how women can effectively confront benevolent forms of sexism (e.g., paternalistic or condescending attitudes). In a second line of research, I am investigating how racial stereotypes may influence how sexism is expressed toward and experienced by women of colour. 

Veronica Bergstrom

Doctoral Student

My interests lie very broadly in the area of prejudice and stereotyping. My primary research focuses on religious (Christian, Muslim) and nonreligious (atheist, agnostic) group biases and ways to reduce intolerance between these groups. I am also working on projects involving stereotype intersectionality, where I am investigating how intersecting identities affect stereotype content.

Joel Le Forestier

Doctoral Student

Broadly speaking, I am interested in social psychological factors that prevent members of marginalized groups from thriving and how we can leverage knowledge of these factors to intervene to promote equity. More specifically, I am interested in how our identities—and how we engage with them—impacts outcomes in the domains of academics, health, and general well-being. My work involves topics including concealable social identities, prejudice, and social belonging.

Lisa Klekovkina

Lab Manager

My interests lie in the intersection of intergroup relations, social cognition, and mental health. Specifically, I am curious about how intergroup perceptions and prejudice affect individuals’ well-being. Moreover, I am interested in the various strategies people can use to minimize the occurrence of prejudice, thereby maximizing positive well-being outcomes. In my third year, I completed an individual project at the IRL, which focused on the use of moral language during sexism confrontation. As the IRL Manager, my role is to ensure that both Graduate and Undergraduate students are provided with the necessary resources to fulfil their research needs.

Project Students and Research Assistants

Lab Alumni

Former Graduate Students

Former Undergraduates