Betsy Levy Paluck

Academy Scholar
Weatherhead Center for International Affairs
Harvard University

Assistant Professor of Psychology and
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
Princeton University (Sept. 2009)

CV

Ph.D. 2007, Yale University (Social Psychology)

email: epaluck (at) wcfia (dot) harvard (dot) edu
(617) 495 5362

What I Research

Prejudice and conflict reduction: the role of media, community dialogue, and education. Social influence, field methodology, psychology and policy.

I use field experiments and I collect quantitative and qualitative evidence, in settings from Central Africa to U.S. high schools.

Some recent questions:

Can we use the media (radio) to reduce prejudice and conflict? (Rwanda)
Radio talk shows, ethnic tolerance, and democracy (Democratic Republic of Congo)
Anti-prejudice education and peer influence (U.S.)
"What works" for reducing prejudice and conflict?

Research Methods

Field experiments
Surveys, focus groups, participant observation

Work in progress

Media and face-to-face discussion: effects on peace and democracy building (Southern Sudan)
Political culture change
Qualitative research within field experiments

Dissertation:

Paluck, E.L. (2007). Reducing Intergroup Prejudice and Conflict with the Media: A Field Experiment in Rwanda. Yale University.

Published papers

Paluck, E.L. (2009). Reducing intergroup prejudice and conflict using the media: A field experiment in Rwanda. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96, 574-587.

Paluck, E.L. (2009). What's in a norm? Sources and processes of norm change. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96, 594-600.

Paluck, E.L., & Green, D.P. (2009). Prejudice Reduction: What works? A critical look at evidence from the field and the laboratory. Annual Review of Psychology, 60: 339-367.
Additional materials

Paluck, E.L. (2009). Crossing the border, changing tactics: A comparative look at fieldwork in two “post-conflict” zones, east DR Congo and Rwanda, 2005-2007. Chapter for Surviving Research: Doing Fieldwork in Difficult and Violent Situations, ed. C. Sriram et al.

Farrar, C., Fishkin, J., Green, D.P., List, C., Luskin, R., & Paluck, E.L. (2009). Disaggregating deliberation’s effects: An experiment within a Deliberative Poll. British Journal of Political Science.

Paluck, E.L. (2008). Qualitative methods and field experiments. Qualitative Methods, 2(6), 23-29.

Paluck, E.L. (2006). Diversity training and intergroup contact: A call to action research.
Journal of Social Issues, 62(3), 439-451.

Nagda, B., Paluck, E.L., Tropp, L.T., Eds. (2006). Reducing Prejudice and Promoting Social Inclusion: Integrating Research, Theory, and Practice on Intergroup Relations. Journal of Social Issues Special Issue.

Uhlmann, E., Brescoll, V.L., & Paluck, E.L. (2006). Are members of low status groups
perceived as bad, or badly off? Egalitarian negative associations and automatic prejudice. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 42(4), 491-499.

LaFrance, M., Paluck, E. L., & Brescoll, V. (2004). Sex changes: A current perspective
on the psychology of gender. In Beall, A., Sternberg, R.J., & Eagly, A., (Eds.) The Psychology of Gender. New York: Guilford Press.

LaFrance, M., Hecht, M., & Paluck, E. L. (2003). The contingent smile: A meta-analysis
of sex differences in smiling. Psychological Bulletin, 129(2), 305-334.

Other publications

Paluck, E.L. (in press). Book Review of The Media and the Rwanda Genocide. Ed. Allan Thompson. African Studies Review.

Paluck, E.L. (2007). Book Review of Intimate Enemy, Voices and Images of the Rwandan Genocide. Scott Straus and Robert Lyons. International Journal of African Historical Studies.

Green, D.P., & Paluck, E. L. (2004). Double blind procedures. In Lewis-Beck, M. (Ed.),
Encyclopedia of Social Science Research Methods. Sage Press.

Working papers

Paluck, E.L. & Green, D.P. (revise and resubmit). Deference, dissent, and dispute resolution: An experimental intervention using mass media to change norms and behavior in Rwanda.

Paluck, E.L. (2008). Is it better not to talk? A field experiment on talk radio and ethnic relations in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Working paper, Harvard University.

Paluck, E.L. (2007). Peer pressure against prejudice: A field experimental test of a national high school prejudice reduction program.

Williams, M., Paluck, E.L., Rodgers, J., (in prep). The price of being female: Some consequences of automatic mental associations between men and wealth.

	Work in the Great Lakes or Southern Sudan? I can recommend researchers who have worked with me in Rwanda, DRC, and Southern Sudan. Please email me for specific recommendations. epaluck (at) wcfia (dot) harvard (dot) edu Top photo by Riccardo Gangale