Intent, Impact, and How We Understand Everyday Interracial Situations
Douglas Chalmers Graduate Scholars Lecture, Daniel Yonas, Ph.D. (Psychology)
In this talk, Dr. Daniel Yonas draws on his doctoral research to explore how people interpret the same everyday behaviors in different ways. Using 6 interracial and 5 nonracial vignettes based on common social situations, he examines how White and Black Americans differ in the weight they place on a person’s intentions versus the impact of their actions when judging harm. The findings suggest that White Americans are often likely to focus on what someone meant to do, while Black Americans are more likely to emphasize what actually happened and how it affected others. Dr. Yonas discusses how these differing ways of reasoning help explain persistent disagreements about racism and fairness.
Daniel Yonas received his doctoral degree in Psychology from Columbia University. His research focuses on moral cognition, intergroup relations, and racial prejudice, examining how people from different backgrounds evaluate moral wrongdoing and justice. His work explores how group membership and systemic biases influence moral reasoning and aims to inform efforts to promote greater equity in education and society.
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