Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton Ph.D.

About

Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton is an associate professor of psychology at UC Berkeley, and co-director of the UCB's Relationships and Social Cognition Laboratory. He studies prejudice, stigma, intergroup relations, cross-race-friendships and cultural psychology. He received his Ph.D. from Columbia University, and his B.A. from Yale University.

Books by Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton Ph.D.

Recent Posts

How Others’ (And Our Own) Attitudes About Race Affect Our Health

Can immune and endocrine markers of health risk be affected by the attitudes people hold about one's group?

When Dieting, Use Science-Based Strategies for Successful Willpower

“Willpower is often construed as a stoic self-denial in the service of a distant goal, a capacity to deliberately endure and suffer while 'biting the bullet.' But [there is] a less heroic approach." Research tells us what that is.

Human Origins and Africa

New research continues to suggest that modern humans originated in Africa, and spread to the rest of the planet from there. Frankly, I was hoping for different news, because, archaeology aside, this only makes the battle against modern prejudice steeper.

On Prejudice Against Fat People

Prejudice against fat people continues to be one of the deepest and most widely shared prejudices that the public holds. New science is helping to dispel the traditional "calories in-calories out" paradigm -- and the moral associations that come with it.

Which Sex Favors True Crime Stories?

The "True Crime" genre is often a staple of summer reading season. Gory, gruesome, and gut wrenching, the genre encompasses true stories of murder, rape, and other savagery.

Take a guess: Are you more likely to see a man or a woman with a true crime book under that beach umbrella?

The "True Crime" genre is often a staple of summer reading season. Gory, gruesome, and gut wrenching, the genre encompasses true stories of murder, rape, and other savagery.

Take a guess: Are you more likely to see a man or a woman with a true crime book under that beach umbrella?

What Type of Learner Are You? (And Why It Doesn't Matter)

Parents and students alike love learning styles classifications-- active learners, observational learners, passive learners, visual learners, aural learners, assimilators, convergers.... There are a wealth of classification types out there, but these classifications may tell us more about our need to classify than about learning per se.

Parents and students alike love learning styles classifications-- active learners, observational learners, passive learners, visual learners, aural learners, assimilators, convergers.... There are a wealth of classification types out there, but these classifications may tell us more about our need to classify than about learning per se.

The Spotlight Effect

The "spotlight effect" refers to the fact that people considerably overestimate how much attention other people are paying to them. We simply do not loom quite as large in the eyes of others as we do in our own-- and knowing this can help us overcome embarrassment.

The "spotlight effect" refers to the fact that people considerably overestimate how much attention other people are paying to them. We simply do not loom quite as large in the eyes of others as we do in our own-- and knowing this can help us overcome embarrassment.

The Dependency Paradox: Why People Are Not Like Feet

According to what I call the "plantar theory of human nature," people are like feet. The foot that is always protected by cushioned sneakers will never develop a layer of hard skin. It will only lead to a need for more cushioning. How accurate is this intuitive theory?

According to what I call the "plantar theory of human nature," people are like feet. The foot that is always protected by cushioned sneakers will never develop a layer of hard skin. It will only lead to a need for more cushioning. How accurate is this intuitive theory?

The Precarious Couple Effect

Research shows that certain types of couples don’t work very well together. Precarious couples are the specific combination of a quiet, verbally inhibited man with a verbally disinhibited but highly critical woman. Part II of the series “When Not to Trust an Intuition of Compatibility”

Research shows that certain types of couples don’t work very well together. Precarious couples are the specific combination of a quiet, verbally inhibited man with a verbally disinhibited but highly critical woman. Part II of the series “When Not to Trust an Intuition of Compatibility”

The Unfair Self-Esteem Trap Faced by Minority Students

A 2005 documentary by Kiri Davis, A Girl Like Me, replicates a famous study showing young African American children preferring to play with White rather than Black dolls. What are the implications for minority self-esteem and education?

A 2005 documentary by Kiri Davis, A Girl Like Me, replicates a famous study showing young African American children preferring to play with White rather than Black dolls. What are the implications for minority self-esteem and education?