Daniel Benkendorf, associate professor of Psychology, has published original research he conducted with his colleague, Kristin Sommer (Baruch College, CUNY), that explored the role that emotional certainty plays in dampening the processing abilities of decision makers. The article, titled “The Impact of Emotions on Stereotyping in Workplace Selection: The Role of Certainty Appraisals,” was published in the February 2021 issue of the Journal of Applied Social Psychology.
The results of the research suggest that the temporary experience of emotions can make decision makers more susceptible to stereotypes and bias if those emotions are characterized by high levels of certainty, e.g., happiness or anger. Emotions such as hope and fear have been shown to be lower in the dimension of certainty. Benkendorf and Sommer conclude that their results might inspire improvements in employee selection processes that would mitigate bias.
For more information, contact Benkendorf.