Erin Cooley

Erin Cooley is a researcher at Colgate University whose work examines the psychological foundations of racial attitudes, inequality perceptions, and discrimination in American society. Cooley's research draws on experimental and quantitative methods to investigate how White Americans' subjective status experiences, economic beliefs, and racialized mental imagery shape attitudes toward social policies, voting eligibility, policing, and diversity initiatives. Research interests span political psychology, economic inequality, stereotyping, workplace discrimination, and the mechanisms through which group-based hierarchies influence health outcomes and support for extremism. Cooley's published work addresses discrimination across judicial, hiring, and housing contexts while exploring how perceived status loss within privileged groups relates to contemporary political polarization and resistance to equity-focused policies.