THE SOCIAL COGNITION OF SOCIAL JUSTICE LABORATORY
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
Welcome to the Social Cognition of Social Justice (SCSJ) Laboratory located in the Purdue University Department of Psychological Sciences in West Lafayette, IN. Directed by Dr. Erin Hennes, research in the SCSJ lab focuses on cognitive and motivated biases in information processing and person perception, particularly in the context of contemporary social issues such as environmental sustainability and racial and gender inequality. Much of this research draws from system justification and related theories to examine how preferences for progressive vs. restorative change influence cognitive processes. We also conduct translational research that develops and examines the effectiveness of social change interventions. Finally, we are heavily involved in the development of new methods for supporting scientific best practices, with a focus on sample size determination.