Welcome to the Diversity and Intergroup Relations Lab

handshakeOur lab investigates interactions and relationships between people from diverse groups. What makes our initial encounters, partnerships, and friendships with individuals from different cultural backgrounds stagnate or succeed? What steps can individuals (and institutions) take to build or repair trust in intergroup interactions? How can we maintain interpersonal trust when facing intercultural conflicts?

We take a social psychological approach to understanding the interpersonal dynamics of intergroup interactions and relationships. We attempt to clarify how both situational and individual factors interact in ways that enable people to connect and bridge cultural divides. Our work addresses questions related to impression management, nonverbal behaviour, affect, depletion, cooperation, and trust.

Treaties Recognition

The Diversity and Intergroup Relations Lab acknowledges that we live and work on the traditional territory of ‎the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. The University of Waterloo is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land promised to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. To date, only 5% of the promised land of the Haldimand Tract is available to the Six Nations of the Grand River. We recognize our role in ongoing colonialism through living on this promised land and commit to working toward reconciliation, justice, and trust in intergroup relations.

  1. June 12, 2020McMaster NSERC Alliance COVID-19 Research Grant awarded

    In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the ESS consortium, including PhD student Emily Cyr and Dr. Bergsieker, co-authored a successful grant proposal with Dr. Kim Jones of McMaster, Ensuring Effective and Equitable Teamwork in Virtual Workplaces, to broaden our understanding of how to pursue remote learning and work without perpetuating inequities.

  2. May 15, 2020Grad student Harrison Oakes wins Governor General’s Gold Medal

    Congratulations to lab member Harrison Oakes on winning this year’s Governor General’s Gold Medal for Highest Standing in a Doctoral Program!

  3. Apr. 16, 2020SSHRC CGS-M awarded to Pamela Campos-Ordóñez and Jessica Trickey

    Congratulation to graduate students Pamela Campos-Ordóñez and Jessica Trickey on receiving the SSHRC CGS-M! This scholarship is granted by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) to students who demonstrate a high standard of scholarly achievement, strong personal characteristics, and potential high quality research in their studies in the social sciences and/or humanities, natural sciences and/or engineering and health.

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