Research suggests that rising economic inequality may exacerbate political polarization. Social psychologists Erin Cooley and Jazmin L. Brown-Iannuzzi will examine the roles of envy and group threat in support for right-wing political extremism among Whites without a college degree. They will conduct a survey and an experiment for their study.

Housing instability is associated with numerous negative outcomes for adults and children, such as increased material hardship, limited healthcare access, and lower educational attainment. Housing assistance, including vouchers, is associated with improvements in these outcomes. However, the largest housing program, the Housing Choice Voucher program, is complicated, inflexible, and has administrative burdens for recipients.

This grant is co-funded with the JPB Foundation.

As COVID-19 spread, there was a marked increase in racially motivated incidents against Asian Americans. At the same time, political figures scapegoated Asian countries for the origin and spread of the virus. Social psychologist Michael W. Kraus will examine how pandemic-related anti-Asian bias affects Asian Americans’ beliefs about their position in society’s racial hierarchy and their willingness to engage in anti-racism efforts. He will conduct surveys and analyze data from the Pew Research Center for his study.

In a society that is becoming increasingly diverse, it is important to understand how people approach racial difference. Social psychologists Alexandra Garr-Schultz and Lydia Emery will examine how different ideologies on racial diversity (e.g., colorblindness vs. multiculturalism) affect relationship dynamics, individual wellbeing, and conversations with children about race. They will conduct a survey, a daily diary study, and participant observation for their project.

Among documented Latinx in the U.S., 40 percent report having a friend or family member who is undocumented. Yet, few studies have considered the impact the risk of deportation for these close others has on Latinx individuals’ political engagement and integration. Social psychologists Shaun Wiley and Yasin Koc will examine how having close relationships with undocumented immigrants impacts immigration activism among Mexican and Central Americans. They will conduct an experiment for their study.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) relies heavily on voluntary compliance with the tax code, but it is unable to collect about $1 trillion per year in taxes owed, $37 billion of which is due to individuals’ not filing returns. Economists Elliott Isaac and James Alm, economic psychologist Matthias Kasper, psychologist Erich Kirchler, and IRS management and program analyst Anne Herlache will examine whether behavioral nudges in IRS outreach can increase federal income filing among non-filers. They will conduct a nationwide field experiment for their study.