Note: Professor Ziva Kunda died on February 24, 2004. Social Psychology Network is maintaining this profile for visitors who wish to learn more about Professor Kunda's work.

One line of my work examines how stereotypes are activated, used, and modified. Under what circumstances, for example, will the stereotypes of an ethnic or an occupational group come to mind as one is interacting with a member of these groups? How will a person's behavior influence which of the stereotypes relevant to that person are on one's mind? Under what circumstances will relevant stereotypes influence one's evaluation of a person? Another line of my work examines how outstanding individuals influence people's self-views and motivation. When will a superstar give rise to inspiration and self-enhancement, and when to discouragement and self-deflation?

Primary Interests:

Culture and Ethnicity
Interpersonal Processes
Motivation, Goal Setting
Person Perception
Prejudice and Stereotyping

Culture and Ethnicity
Interpersonal Processes
Motivation, Goal Setting

Person Perception
Prejudice and Stereotyping

Books:

Kunda, Z. (1999). Social cognition: Making sense of people. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.

Journal Articles:

Dunning, D., Kunda, Z., & Murray, S. L. (1999). What the commentators motivated us to think about. Psychological Inquiry, 10, 79-82.
Kunda, Z. (1990). The case for motivated reasoning. Psychological Bulletin, 108, 480-498.
Kunda, Z., Davies, P. G., Adams, B. D., & Spencer, S. J. (2002). The dynamic time course of stereotype activation: Activation, dissipation, and resurrection. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82, 283-299.
Kunda, Z., & Oleson, K. (1997). When exceptions prove the rule: How extremity of deviance determines deviants’ impact on stereotypes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72, 965-979.
Kunda, Z., & Oleson, K. (1995). Maintaining stereotypes in the face of disconfirmation: Constructing grounds for subtyping deviants. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 68, 565-579.
Kunda, Z., & Sherman-Williams, B. (1993). Stereotypes and the construal of individuating information. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 19, 90-99.
Kunda, Z., Sinclair, L., & Griffin, D. (1997). Equal ratings, but separate meanings: Stereotypes and the construal of traits. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72, 720-734.
Kunda, Z., & Spencer, S. J. (2003). When do stereotypes come to mind and when do they color judgment? A goal-based theoretical framework for stereotype activation and application. Psychological Bulletin, 129, 522-544.
Kunda, Z., & Thagard, P. (1996). Forming impressions from stereotypes, traits, and behaviors: A parallel-constraint-satisfaction theory. Psychological Review, 103, 284-308.
Lockwood, P., Jordan, C., & Kunda, Z. (2002). Motivation by positive or negative role models: Regulatory focus determines who will best inspire us. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83, 854-864.
Lockwood, P., & Kunda, Z. (1999). Increasing the salience of one's best selves can undermine inspiration by outstanding role models. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76, 214-228.
Lockwood, P., & Kunda, Z. (1997). Superstars and me: Predicting the impact of role models on the self. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73, 91-103.
Sinclair, L., & Kunda, Z. (2000). Motivated stereotyping of women: She’s fine if she praised me but incompetent if she criticized me. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 26, 1329-1342.
Sinclair, L., & Kunda, Z. (1999). Reactions to a Black professional: Motivated inhibition and activation of conflicting stereotypes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77, 885-904.