Keith Maddox
associate professor, psychology

Current Research: "I'm interested in racial phenotypicality bias, which is the role that physical characteristics of the face play in the activation and application of racial stereotypes, particularly among African-Americans. I'm involved in laboratory research on the Tufts campus, and I'm currently exploring opportunities to expand this research by establishing partnerships with individuals and organizations in the communities surrounding Tufts. I also have graduate students who are interested in other issues surrounding stereotyping and prejudice, including the role of race in our perceptions of potential recipients of help, the role of race and gender in academic achievement, and how claims of racial or gender discrimination in the workplace may impact the way a person is perceived by others."

Finding: "My work has focused largely on one feature, skin tone. Variability on this feature among Blacks is important, as those with lighter skin tone are stereotyped to a lesser degree than those with darker skin tone. I've shown that people see variation in skin tone as a meaningful social variable. This work has challenged previous research in social psychology which assumed that the variability in appearance found among racial categories was not important when it came to social perception and judgment."

Why Tufts: "Tufts University provides an atmosphere where teaching and research are both valued. I find that maintaining a balance between the two is often quite challenging. But these efforts can be rewarding when the right institutional supports are in place."