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 * About
 * Research
 * In the News
 * Ongoing Research

   About
   Research
   In the News
   Ongoing Research
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 * DR. JASON A. OKONOFUA
   
   SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGIST
   
   ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
   
   UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY
   
   Thank you for visiting!
   
    
   
   Dr. Jason Okonofua is a social psychologist in the Psychology Department at
   the University of California at Berkeley. Dr. Okonofua is interested in
   science-based and scalable strategies to combat inequity in society. This
   work spans contexts such as education, criminal justice, and business. It
   investigates how negative stereotypes can contribute to disparities in life
   outcomes and how that process can be dismantled. For example, some of his
   research in education investigates how the effects of one person’s
   stereotyping and another person’s threat reverberate and escalate over time.
   He asks how stereotypes about stigmatized children can shape how they
   interact with teachers, administrators, and police officers. He also develops
   theory-based psychological interventions that protect teacher-student
   relationships from the deleterious effects of stigma and bias. Dr. Okonofua's
   work is situated to inform psychological theory, field experimentation, and
   public policy.
   
    
   
   Research interests: stereotyping, threat, scalable psychological
   intervention, bias, behavioral science, education, criminal justice.

 * SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH
   
   "...TO AFFECT MOTIVATION ON A LARGE SCALE."
   
   CURRICULUM VITAE
   
   HIGHLIGHTED RECENT PUBLICATIONS:
   
    
   
   Sidelining Bias: A Situationist Approach to Reduce the Consequences of Bias
   in Real-World Contexts
   
   sidelining.pdf
   
    
   
   A scalable empathic-mindset intervention reduces group disparities in school
   suspensions
   
   https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/sciadv.abj0691
   
    
   
   CONTACT INFORMATION
   
   Department of Psychology
   
   University of California
   
   2121 Berkeley Way West
   
   Berkeley, California 94704
   
    
   
   Primary e-mail: okonofua@berkeley.edu
   
    
   
   ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
   
   Assistant Professor, Psychology Department
   
   University of California, Berkeley, CA 2016-present
   
    
   
   Post Doctoral Researcher, Psychology Department
   
   Stanford University, Stanford, CA 2015-2016
   
    
   
   EDUCATION
   
   Ph.D. in psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
   
   Advisers: Dr. Gregory Walton & Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt
   
    
   
   B.A. in psychology and African American studies, Northwestern University,
   Chicago, IL
   
   Advisers: Dr. Jennifer Richeson & Dr. Lindsay Chase-Lansdale June 2008
   
    
   
   AWARDS
   
   Cialdini Award,
   
   Society for Personality and Social Psychology, 2018
   
    
   
   People's Choice Award,
   
   TheRoot 100
   
    
   
   Distinguished Scholar Award,
   
   Stanford University, Vice Provost of Graduate Education, 2015
   
    
   
   Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence,
   
   Stanford University, Black Community Services Center, 2015
   
    
   
   Graduate Research Opportunity Award,
   
   Stanford University, School of Humanities and Science, 2013
   
    
   
   Diversity Travel Award,
   
   Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), 2013
   
    
   
   Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award,
   
   Stanford University, Psychology One Program, 2011
   
    
   
   First Runner-up Graduate Research Poster Award,
   
   Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), 2010
   
    
   
   William H. Exum Award for scientific paper,
   
   Northwestern University, Sociology Department, 2008
   
    
   
   Undergraduate Fellowship,
   
   Northwestern University, Institute for Policy Research, 2007
   
    
   
   GRANT AND FELLOWSHIP SUPPORT
   
   New Teacher Center
   
   Research Grant, 2019-present
   
    
   
   Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
   
   Research Grant, 2019-present
   
    
   
   Google/Tides Foundation
   
   Research Grant, 2017-present
   
    
   
   Character Lab
   Research Grant, 2015-present
   
   Social Psychological Answers to Real-World Questions, SPARQ
   
   Fellow, 2014 - Present
   
    
   
   Bureau of Justice Statistics, Interuniversity Consortium for Political and
   Social Research
   
   Research Grant, 2013
   
    
   
   Diversity Dissertation Research Opportunity, Stanford Vice Provost for
   Graduate Education,
   
   Research Grant, 2013-2015
   
    
   
   Diversifying Academia, Recruiting Excellence
   
   Fellowship, 2013-2015
   
    
   
   Ford Foundation
   
   Diversity Dissertation Fellowship Honorable Mention, 2011
   
    
   
   National Science Foundation
   
   Graduate Research Fellowship Honorable Mention, 2010
   
    
   
   Ford Foundation
   
   Diversity Dissertation Fellowship Honorable Mention, 2010
   
    
   
   Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education
   
   Graduate Fellowship, Stanford University, 2009-2015
   
    
   
   MANUSCRIPTS AND PUBLICATIONS
   
   Perez, A. D., & Okonofua, J. A. (2022). The good and bad of a reputation:
   Race and punishment in K-12 schools. Journal of Experimental Social
   Psychology, 100, 104287.
    
   Walton, G. M., Okonofua, J. A., Remington Cunningham, K., Hurst, D., Pinedo,
   A., Weitz, E., ... & Eberhardt, J. L. (2021). Lifting the bar: A
   relationship-orienting intervention reduces recidivism among children
   reentering school from juvenile detention. Psychological Science, 32(11),
   1747-1767.
   
    
   
   Bookser, B. A.*, Ruiz, M.*, Olu-Odumosu, A.*, Kim, M., Jarvis, S. N.*, &
   Okonofua, J. A. (2021). Context matters for preschool discipline: Effects of
   distance learning and pandemic fears. School Psychology.
   
    
   
   Okonofua, J. A., Saadatian, K.*, Ocampo, J.*, Ruiz, M.*, & Oxholm, P. D.*
   (2021). A scalable empathic supervision intervention to mitigate recidivism
   from probation and parole. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
   118(14).
   
    
   
   Okonofua, J. A., Perez, A. D.*, & Darling-Hammond, S.* (2020). When policy
   and psychology meet: Mitigating the consequences of bias in schools. Science
   advances, 6(42).
   
    
   
   Okonofua, J. A., & Ruiz, M.* (2020). The Empathic-discipline intervention. G.
   M. Walton & A. J. Crum (Eds.). Handbook of Wise Interventions: How Social
   Psychology Can Help People Change, Guilford Press: New York.
   
    
   
   Jarvis, S. N.*, & Okonofua, J. A. (2020). School deferred: When bias affects
   school leaders. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 11(4), 492-498.
   
    
   
   Goyer, J. P., Cohen, G. L., Cook, J. E., Master, A., Apfel, N., Lee, W., ...
   Okonofua, J. A. & Walton, G. M. (2019). Targeted identity-safety
   interventions cause lasting reductions in discipline citations among
   negatively stereotyped boys. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,
   117(2), 229.
   
    
   
   Okonofua, J. A. & Eberhardt, J. A. (2015). Two-strikes: Race and disciplinary
   action in K-12 schooling. Psychological Science.
   
    
   
   Okonofua, J. A., Walton, G. M., & Eberhardt, J. A. (2016). A vicious cycle:
   Racial bias and perceptions of bias interactively perpetuating
   disproportionate discipline. Perspectives on Psychological Science.
   
    
   
   Okonofua, J. A., Paunesku, D., & Walton, G. M. (2016). A brief intervention
   to encourage empathic discipline halves suspension rates among adolescents.
   Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
   
    

 * NEWS COVERAGE
   
   
   
   MSNBC
   
   SEGMENT ON MELISSA HARRIS PERRY’S SHOW
   
   Watch interview about my research that shows how large race disparities in
   school discipline in the United States are, in part, driven by racial
   stereotypes that can lead teachers to escalate their negative responses to
   Black students over the course of multiple interpersonal (e.g.,
   teacher-to-student) encounters.
   
   Posted: 4/26/15
   
   THE NEW YORK TIMES
   
   ARTICLE BY DAVID L. KIRP
   
   "Don't Suspend Students. Empathize."
   
   Posted: 9/2/17
   
   THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
   
   ARTICLE BY ALISON GOPNIK
   
   "A Small Fix in Mind-set Can Keep Students in School"
   
   Posted: 6/16/16
   
   PUBLIC BROADCASTING STATION
   
   ARTICLE BY SARAH D. SPARKS
   
   "How Feeling Respected Transforms a Student's Relationship to School"
   
   Posted: 8/4/16
   
   HUFFINGTON POST
   
   ARTICLE BY REBECCA KLEIN
   
   "The Key to Reducing School Suspensions? Treat Kids With Empathy, Says Study"
   
   Posted: 5/12/16
   
   REUTERS
   
   ARTICLE BY ALEX DOBUZINSKIS
   
   "U.S. study finds teacher bias in discipline toward black students"
   
   Posted: 4/20/15
   
   DAILY MAIL
   
   ARTICLE BY RICHARD GRAY
   
   "Are schools still struggling with racism? Teachers more likely to label
   black students as troublemakers, study finds"
   
   Posted: 4/16/15
   
   PACIFIC STANDARD
   
   ARTICLE BY NATHAN COLLINS
   
   "Going to the Principal's Office, in Black or White"
   
   Posted: 4/20/2015
   
   SCIENCE UPDATE BY AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE (AAAS)
   
   PODCAST BY BOB HIRSHON
   
   "Race & School Discipline"
   
   Posted: 4/22/15
   
   HUFFINGTON POST
   
   ARTICLE BY WRAY HERBERT
   
   "Two Strikes and You're Out (But Only If You're Black)"
   
   Posted: 1/14/15

 * ONGOING RESEARCH
   
   
   
   MINDSETS INTERVENTION
   
   SUSPENSION RATES
   
   I am currently collaborating with school districts throughout the country to
   continue to test the efficacy of my "Empathic Discipline" intervention which
   has been found to cut suspension rates in half and can potentially combat the
   effects of implicit bias.
   
   TRANSITION INTERVENTION
   
   JUVENILE DETENTION
   
   I am currently developing a theory-based psychological intervention around
   reintegration for juvenile offenders.
   
   



Copyright 2015

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