Rachel Fine:

Title: Boys Will Be Boys?: How gender essentialism relates to prejudice against gender nonconforming children

Abstract: With a study of 120 urban and 120 rural children, we found that more endorsement of gender essentialism (a belief that gender is an innate category) relates to more prejudice against gender nonconforming children. Although urban children were significantly less gender essentialist than their rural peers, and older children were less gender essentialist than younger children, we consistently found the main effect of higher gender essentialism relating to prejudice. Furthermore, essentialist beliefs about the immutability of gender were the most significant component of essentialism that relates to prejudice. These findings support the possibility that interventions can be created to lower gender essentialist beliefs in order reduce the prejudice against gender nonconforming children.

Bio: Rachel investigates how children and adults perceive non-discrete identities (for ex.being multiracial, gender nonconforming or a dual national) and how this relates to their beliefs about race, gender and nationality.

Zachery Reese:

Title: Competition within Relationships

Abstract: People in the U.S. strive for achievement, individuality, and glory while simultaneously striving to build and maintain close relationships. What happens when our desire to be "top dog" conflicts with our desire to support our loved ones? In this presentation, I will discuss several studies examining the roles competition and dominance play in our close relationships.