Social Psychology Network

Maintained by Scott Plous, Wesleyan University

Sarah J. Gervais

Sarah J. Gervais

Professor Sarah Gervais' research examines power and subtle prejudice. Examining behaviors like the objectifying gaze, flattery, patronization, and interpersonal confrontation, she has found that the discriminatory acts of powerful people are often more subtle and nuanced than previously thought, but they still have negative consequences for recipients from negatively stereotyped groups (like women, racial minorities, and people from poor and working class backgrounds). Professor Gervais also examines the relationship between subtle prejudice and public policy and law.

Primary Interests:

  • Applied Social Psychology
  • Culture and Ethnicity
  • Gender Psychology
  • Intergroup Relations
  • Internet and Virtual Psychology
  • Law and Public Policy
  • Motivation, Goal Setting
  • Person Perception
  • Persuasion, Social Influence
  • Prejudice and Stereotyping
  • Social Cognition

Research Group or Laboratory:

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Books:

Journal Articles:

  • Bernard, P., Gervais, S. J., Allen, J., Campomizzi, S., & Klein, O. (2012). Integrating sexual objectification with object versus person recognition: The sexualized body-inversion hypothesis. Psychological Science, 23, 469-471. doi: 10.1177/0956797611434748
  • Gervais, S. J., DiLillo, D., & McChargue, D. (in press). Understanding the link between men’s alcohol use and sexual violence: The mediating role of sexual objectification. Psychology of Violence.
  • Vescio, T. K., Gervais, S. J., Snyder, M., & Hoover, A. (2005). Power and the creation of patronizing environments: The stereotype-based behaviors of the powerful and their effects on female performance in masculine domains. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. [Winner of the 2005-2006 Gordon Allport Intergroup Relations Prize, Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, Division 9 of the American Psychological Association]
  • Allen, J., Gervais, S. J., & Smith, J. (2013). Sit big to eat big: The interaction of body posture and body concern on restrained eating. Psychology of Women Quarterly. doi:10.1177/0361684313476477
  • Bernard, P., Gervais, S. J., Allen, J., & Klein, O. (2013). Perceptual determinants are critical, but they don’t explain everything: A response to Tarr. Psychological Science. doi: 10.1177/0956797612474672
  • Davidson, M. M., Gervais, S. J., Canivez, G., & Cole, B. (2013). Is the interpersonal sexual objectification scale a valid and reliable measure of sexual objectification experiences for men? Journal of Counseling Psychology. doi: 10.1037/a0032075
  • Gervais, S. J., & Davidson, M. (2013). Objectification among college women in the context of intimate partner violence. Violence and Victims, 28, 36-49. doi: 10.1891/0886-6708.28.1.36
  • Gervais, S. J., Guinote, A., Allen, J., & Slabu, L. (2012). Power increases situated creativity. Social Influence. doi: 10.1080/15534510.2012.742457
  • Gervais, S. J., & Hillard, A. (2011). A role congruity perspective on voting preferences for Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin. Analysis of Public Policy and Social Issues, 11, 221-240. doi: 10.1111/j.1530-2415.2011.01263.x.
  • Gervais, S. J., Hillard, A. & Vescio, T. K. (2010). Confronting sexism: The role of relationship orientation and gender. Sex Roles, 63, 463-474. doi: 10.1007/s11199-010-9838-7.
  • Gervais, S. J., & Hoffman, L. (2013). Just think about it: Men and women’s mindfulness, sexism, and prejudice toward feminists. Sex Roles. doi: 10.1007/s11199-012-0241-4
  • Gervais, S. J., & Vescio, T. K. (2012). Patronizing behavior and gender differences in personal control and performance. Sex Roles, 66, 479-491. doi:10.1007/s11199-011-0115-1
  • Gervais, S. J., Vescio, T. K., & Allen, J. (2012). A test of the fungibility hypothesis from sexual objectification theory. British Journal of Social Psychology, 51, 499-513. doi: 10.1111/j.2044-8309.2010.02016.x.
  • Gervais, S. J., Vescio, T. K., & Allen, J. (2011). When what you see is what you get: The consequences of the objectifying gaze for men and women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 35, 5-17. doi: 10.1177/0361684310386121. [Winner of the 2010-2011 Georgia Babladelis Best Paper Award, Division 35 of the American Psychological Association]
  • Gervais, S. J., Vescio, T. K., Förster, J., Maass, A., & Suitner, C. (2012). Seeing women as objects: The sexual body part recognition bias. European Journal of Social Psychology, 42, 743-753. doi: 10.1002/ejsp.1890
  • Wiener, R., Gervais, S. J., Allen, J., & Marquez, A. (2013). In the eye of the beholder: The role of sexual objectification and affective forecasting on sexual harassment judgments. Psychology, Public Policy, and the Law. doi: 10.1037/a0028497

Other Publications:

Courses Taught:

  • Applied Social Psychology
  • Psychology of Gender
  • Social Cognition
  • Social Psychology

Sarah J. Gervais
Department of Psychology
338 Burnett Hall
University of Nebraska--Lincoln
Lincoln, Nebraska 68588
United States of America

  • Phone: (402) 472-3793

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