Kimberly Rios Morrison

Ph.D., 2008, Stanford University (Organizational Behavior)
B.A., 2003, Stanford University (Psychology)

Assistant Professor of Communication
Assistant Professor (by courtesy) of Social Psychology


Research

I study how different aspects of people's identities - including their individual characteristics, interpersonal relationships, and group memberships - can affect their susceptibility to social influence. In one area of research, I examine the role of identity-related factors in group members' willingness to express or adopt minority opinions. In a second area of research, I examine when people will and will not conform to the goals that their significant others (e.g., roommates, supervisors) have for them.

I am also interested in the relationship between identity and intergroup attitudes. Specifically, I examine the conditions under which identifying strongly with social groups will increase versus decrease prejudice, support for group-based inequality, and appreciation of cultural diversity.

Teaching

As an instructor of organizational communication, I am committed to ensuring that my students can ultimately apply their knowledge outside of the classroom. To this end, I focus not only on defining and explaining key theoretical concepts, but also on providing "real-world" examples. As any current or former student of mine can attest, I am a big fan of The Office. So whenever possible, I use clips from my favorite episodes to demonstrate how (not) to communicate in the workplace!