Dr. Ruscher's research focuses primarily on stereotyping and prejudice in communication, and her book Prejudiced communication: A social psychological perspective provides an in-depth analysis of this topic. At Tulane, she and her students have examined a.) the conditions that exacerbate and attenuate the formation of shared stereotypic impressions during conversation, b.) the impact that exposure to communicated stereotypic impressions or assertions have on receivers, and c.) how communicated stereotypic impressions can serve as implicit "justifications" for discriminatory behavior. Her more general interest in social cognition occasionally leads her to collaborate with colleagues who are interested in mental representations of romantic partners, biased information processing, attribution, and the relation between stereotyping and aggression. Her current interest lies specifically with the transmission of discriminatory performance feedback in intergroup settings.

Professor

Department of Psychology, Tulane University, 2003 - present

Assistant Professor (1991-1997); Associate Professor (1997-2003)

Department of Psychology, Tulane University

Administrative Appointments

Chair, Department of Psychology (July 2003-present; sabbatical leave Fall06)
Associate Chair, Department of Psychology (July 1998-June 2003)
Director of Graduate Training, Department of Psychology (July 1997-June 2003)
Chair, Behavioral Sciences Institutional Review Board (July 2001-June 2003)

Recent Service (selected)

Co-Editor, Special Issue on Hurricane Katrina. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy

Convention Program Chair, American Psychology Society (June 2003 Atlanta; June 2004 Chicago)

Editorial Boards, Social Cognition(2001-present), Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin(2000-2003)

Promotion and Tenure Committee, Tulane Liberal Arts and Sciences (July 2002-June 2004)

Executive Committee, Tulane Liberal Arts and Sciences (Sept 1999 - June 2002)

GRANTS AND AWARDS

Honors and Awards

Distinguished Service Award, Tulane Honors Program (2005)

Fellow, American Psychological Society (2003)

Alpha Lambda Delta Award for Meritorious Service as Faculty Advisor (1997)

Extramural Grants

PI. Louisiana Education Quality Support Fund 2009-2013 ($152,000,direct)

Recruitment of superior graduate students in psychology

PI. Louisiana Education Quality Support Fund 2003-2007 ($60,000,direct; extended to December 2009)

Recruitment of superior graduate students in psychology

CO-PI. Louisiana Education Quality Support Fund 1999-2003 ($60,000,direct)

Recruitment of superior graduate students in the social sciences

Co-PIs Beth Rubin, Ronald Marks, and Thomas Langston

CO-PI. Louisiana Education Quality Support Fund 1998-2002 ($60,000,direct)

Recruitment of superior graduate students in the social sciences

Co-PIs Joel Devine, Barbara Moely, and Ronald Marks

PI. Louisiana Education Quality Support Fund FY 1992-1995 ($83,382 direct)

Impression change processes following revelation of previously-unknown category membership.

COURSES

Graduate Course Descriptions and Syllabi

Undergraduate Course Descriptions and Syllabi