April 9, 2021
In this episode, Wendy speaks with social psychologist Buju Dasgupta about her work on implicit bias, and the role of social context in shaping the mind. Their conversation covers many topics, including:
- her path to merging science and social justice;
- the crucial role of social context in implicit bias;
- the malleability of implicit bias & the “wallpaper” of the mind;
- how scientists measure unconscious processes (like implicit bias);
- changing bias against women and underrepresented groups in STEM education;
- links from this work into contemplative science;
- increasing cross-disciplinary collaboration to advance research around equity;
- the subtle ways we can change implicit bias by changing the wallpaper of our lives;
- and turning research into social impact.
Nilanjana (Buju) Dasgupta is a Professor of Psychology and the inaugural Director of the Institute of Diversity Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is interested in the plasticity of implicit bias—the ways in which changes in social contexts correspondingly change implicit attitudes, beliefs, and behavior. Buju’s research has been funded by the NSF and NIH, and she has given distinguished research lectures at the NSF and at a White House roundtable during the Obama administration. She is deeply invested in translating research to inform social problems such as disparities in education, employment, and leadership. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Boston Globe, The Atlantic, National Public Radio, Scientific American Mind, Slate.com, and other outlets. Buju also serves on the Steering Council at the Mind & Life Institute.
Resources
Website: Implicit Social Cognition Lab
Website: Institute of Diversity Sciences (UMass Amherst)
- NPR interview (2016): Research Explores Ways To Overcome STEM Fields’ Gender Gap
- Paper: L McDowell, N Dasgupta, et al (2019). Increasing gender diversity in the STEM research workforce. Science
- Book chapter: Dasgupta, N. (2013). Implicit attitudes and beliefs adapt to situations: A decade of research on the malleability of implicit prejudice, stereotypes, and the self-concept. In Devine and Plant (Editors), Advances in Experimental Social Psychology
- The Impermanence of Lies, a short story and social critique from Buju’s great grandmother Jyotirmoyee Devi, along with introductory biography
- Take the Implicit Association Test (IAT) for yourself through Harvard’s Project Implicit
- Blog on contemplative science and implicit bias: W Hasenkamp, (2016). Can We Change Racial Bias? Mind & Life Blog