Sarah E. Gaither, Nicholas J. and Theresa M. Leonardy Associate Professor

Humans are fundamentally social beings, and their interactions represent a core aspect of human nature. My research focuses on how individuals’ social identities and experiences across the lifespan motivate their social perceptions and behaviors particularly in diverse settings.

More specifically I am interested in three main questions:
1) how intergroup contact shapes interracial interaction outcomes for both racial majority and racial minority individuals
2) how having multiple racial or social identities more broadly affects various types of behavior including complex thinking, social behavior, and identity malleability
3) what contexts in particular may influence how people perceive or socially categorize each other across group boundaries

Therefore, the overall goal of my research program is to investigate the attitudinal and behavioral effects stemming from exposure to racial and gender diversity as a means to pinpoint pathways that one can utilize to foster more positive group relations for both adult and child populations. By exploring the developmental origins of social identity and intergroup perceptions we can pinpoint some of the antecedents that predict adult behavior in diverse settings.

Contact Info:

Office Location:	2200 West Main Street (Suite 800), Durham, NC 27705
Email Address:

Teaching (Fall 2026):

• PSY 223.01, SOCIAL IDENTITIES Synopsis

  Bio Sci 144, TuTh 10:05 AM-11:20 AM

Education:

Ph.D.	Tufts University	2014
M.S.	Tufts University	2009
B.A.	University of California, Berkeley	2007

Keywords:

Developmental psychology • Social psychology

Recent Publications   (More Publications)

1. Muñoz, MA; Jenkins, SH; Carbajal, I; Gaither, SE, Intersecting Identities and Ideologies: Sociodemographic Predictors of 2024 Voting Among Mexican and Cuban Americans, Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, vol. 26 no. 1 (April, 2026) [doi]  [abs]
2. Gaither, SE; Naidu, ES; Reilly, EB, Random Roommates, Broader Minds: Why Higher Ed Should Invest in Intergroup Contact, Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, vol. 13 no. 1 (March, 2026), pp. 186-194, SAGE Publications [doi]  [abs]
3. Erwin, S; Ahmed, T; Cloughesy, J; Citron, K; Joo, F; Monahan, E; Kim, YK; Straka, B; Bennett, G; Strauman, T; Gaither, S; Sapiro, G; Zucker, N, Peer support: Current status and future opportunities for college mental health promotion., J Am Coll Health, vol. 74 no. 2 (February, 2026), pp. 413-423 [doi]  [abs]
4. Naidu, ES; Knowles, JM; Adelson, JL; Goldin-Meadow, S; Gaither, SE, Talk to the hand: Black and White cultural differences in gesture use., Journal of experimental psychology. General, vol. 155 no. 2 (February, 2026), pp. 388-402 [doi]  [abs]
5. Chen, EE; Ma, S; Groves, JM; Gaither, SE, Whom do I like more? Examining ethnic majority and minority children's socializing preferences in Hong Kong., Journal of experimental child psychology, vol. 260 (December, 2025), pp. 106330, Elsevier BV [doi]  [abs]