Talk Examines Self-Affirmation, Prejudice

David Sherman, professor of psychological and brain sciences at UC Santa Barbara, explores how self-affirmation, the act of reflecting upon core values, can reduce prejudicial behaviors and mitigate their effect Friday, Sept. 9, at 3:30 p.m. in Winter Hall’s Darling Foundation Lecture Hall (Room 210) at Westmont. The Natural and Behavioral Sciences Lecture, “Threats and Affirmations: The Interplay of Self and Social Identity,” is free and open to the public.

Sherman has examined the role of affirmation across a wide range of domains, including health, education and intergroup conflict. His work suggests possible interventions for social problems in the U.S. and around the world.

Sherman, who earned a doctorate in psychology from Stanford University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in health psychology at UCLA, has taught at UCSB since 2003.

His research, which is supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, centers on how people respond to information and events that threaten the self.