How does prejudice affect our judgment and behavior?
What are the neural and psychological mechanisms though which social biases are formed, controlled, and changed?
Our Research
The Amodio Lab investigates the psychological and neural bases of social cognition and prejudice, with a focus on how social attitudes and beliefs are formed, expressed, controlled, and changed. Our broad goal is to illuminate basic mechanisms of the mind and brain while addressing critical societal problems.
Our research is funded by the US National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO).
Prejudice & Learning
How are prejudices formed? How are societal stereotypes transmitted to individual-level preferences? And how do they affect decisions? By studying the neural systems and computations that underlie social learning, our research illuminates how social biases form and operate in behavior. Prejudice Learning
Algorithmic Bias
Humans increasingly rely on artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms for information and decision making, yet mounting evidence shows systematic prejudices in algorithmic output. Our lab probes the human sources of algorithmic bias and how AI propagates societal biases in human decision making.Algorithmic Bias
Bias in Visual Perception
Should we always believe what we see? Our research reveals that the visual processing of faces can be influenced by our prejudices and other social factors, and that this visual bias affects how we judge and act toward people. Bias in Visual Perception
Computational Social Cognition
By testing formal models of learning and decision making, we are identifying the specific neural and cognitive processes that drive the formation and expression of attitudes, trait impressions, and implicit prejudice. Instrumental Social Learning
About Our Lab
Our lab includes a passionate and energetic group of scientists and students interested in the neural and cognitive processes that drive prejudice, social cognition, and self-regulation. We value inclusion, promote diversity, and support open science.
We are based at the University of Amsterdam and New York University, with active collaboration between our Amsterdam and NYC teams and opportunities for members to visit between sites. Both lab groups are located in vibrant communities: the UvA in the beautiful Plantage District near the Amsterdam City Center, and NYU in the heart of Greenwich Village, NYC (see Contact).
The Amodio Lab strongly values equity and fairness in opportunities and treatment for all people, and we promote diversity and inclusion in our work and in the broader academic and scientific communities. We encourage participation from members of all groups, especially those underrepresented in science, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual preference, language, culture, nationality, religion, or physical ability.