Our Lab

Shiri Spitz

Pia Dietze (PI)

I received my BA in Psychology from UC Berkeley and my PhD in Social Psychology at NYU. I am currently an Assistant Professor of Psychological Science at UC Irvine. Broadly, my research focuses on the consequences and antecedents of societal inequality.

Click here for my CV.

Graduate students

I'm a fourth year doctoral student working at the intersection of morality and politics using a mixture of experimental, survey, and big data methods. I am particularly interested in how contemporary culture war issues - which often center around discussions of privilege and inequality - relate to ongoing political polarization. I love vintage clothes and my cat, Scout. Email: spitzs@uci.edu

Ishita Singhal

I am a second year Ph.D. student here in the Department of Psychological Science. I study how individuals conceptualise and respond to social inequalities and privilege, and the real-world implications this may have for outcomes like policy support and admission/hiring decisions. I hope to contribute to the diversification of psych science and improving science communication to drive greater societal impact. Email: singhali@uci.edu

Christian Beltran

I'm a 1st year Ph.D. student in the Psychological Science Department (Social/Personality area) here at UC Irvine. My primary research interests focus on the role of morality, social identity, and social cognition in intergroup conflicts (e.g., politics). Through my research, I aim to expand upon methods for bridging social divides, encouraging civility in political discourse, and sharing research with non-academic audiences. Email: ctbeltra@uci.edu