Claude Steele
The author is actually a character in his book. He shares his personal experiences of growing up black in the America of the 1950’s. A defining moment in his life also becomes a central symbol in the book: being forbidden from using a public swimming pool simply on account of his skin color.
Richard Nisbett
Great conversationalist Nisbett, a social psychologist, is first introduced in reference to his collaborative research with another social psychologist, Edward Jones. Together, they developed a groundbreaking theory on behavioral psychology focusing on how perspective is enormously altered depending on whether one observing or participating. He later collaborates with the author in a study on the racial divide in SAT scores.
Joshua Aronson
Before becoming a professor at NYU, Aroson also collaborated with the author. This collaborative effort also centered on race and testing, focusing on how the pressure of stigma affected scores and how self-affirmation theory can be used to offset the impact.
Steven Spencer
Univ. of Waterloo Professor Steven Spencer is one of the author’s most prolific partners in research. Together, the two published significant studies in cognitive performance related to self-affirmation theory and stigma pressure, especially as the latter relates to the credibility problem facing women known as the “chilly climate.”
Valerie Purdie-Vaughns and Mary Murphy
These two social psychologist worked in tandem with Steele in studying to what extent stereotype cues in everyday social settings impact and shape an individual’s own social sense of belonging. Both women separately also collaborated with Steel in experiments related to “identity threat.”
