(University of British Columbia)
https://psych.ubc.ca/persons/toni-schmader/
Three Routes to Feeling Person-Environment Fit
Since its inception, social psychology has been interested in how people are shaped by their immediate situation. We take for granted that people self-select into some situations and out of others. But what drives these self-selection processes? In this talk, I present the SAFE model which identifies state authenticity as a signal of one’s fit to the environment. The model proposes that person-environment fit can be experienced at the cognitive, motivational, and social level. Because one’s personal identity is often defined by social groups and associated stereotypes, the model also strives to explain why advantaged groups thrive in contexts where they are the default, whereas disadvantaged choose to leave. I will summarize data that applies this model to understand how gender stereotypes, in particular, constrain women’s and men’s occupational choices and experiences.
The colloquium will be held in Psychology Building 035.