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Psychology Faculty

Campbell Leaper
  • Title
    • Distinguished Professor
  • Division Social Sciences Division
  • Department
    • Psychology Department
  • Affiliations Education Department, Feminist Studies Department, John R. Lewis College, College Nine
  • Phone
    831-459-4496
  • Email
  • Fax
    831-459-3519
  • Website
  • Office Location
    • Social Sciences 2, Room 355
  • Office Hours Wednesday 10:30-11:15
  • Mail Stop Psychology Faculty Services
  • Faculty Areas of Expertise Sexism and Gender Bias, Personal and Social Identities, Discrimination and Inequality, Schools and Academic Achievement, Peer Groups and Friendships, Sociolinguistics, Mass Media, Ethnicity, Gender Studies
  • Courses Psych 1: Introduction to Psychology, Psych 100: Research Methods in Psychology, Psych 106: Social and Emotional Development, Psych 107: Gender and Development, Psych 140Q: Social Psychology of Sex and Gender, Psych 225: Research Methods in Developmental Psychology, Psych 244B: Proseminar 2: Social and Personality Development, Psych 254: Psychology of Gender
  • Advisees, Grad Students, Researchers Brenda Celina Gutierrez, Tess A Shirefley, Christine Elliana Michelle Starr, Abigail Walsh

Summary of Expertise

Developmental and social-psychological perspectives on gender and sexism in childhood and adulthood. Related areas of expertise include:

  • hostile and benevolent sexist attitudes
  • sexual harassment and gender bias
  • gender identity 
  • gender-related variations in academic motivation in STEM and other subjects
  • language and communication in relationships
  • representations of gender in mass media
  • social identity 
  • gender segregation
  • family and peers as contexts for gender socialization
  • intersection of gender and racial-ethnic identities

Research Interests

The origins and consequences of gender inequities across the lifespan, including: 

  • * sexist attitudes and experiences with sexism from childhood into adulthood
  • * self-concepts, social identities, and stereotyping during gender development
  • * intersections of gender and racial-ethnic identities
  • * gender, language, and social interaction
  • * impact of gender stereotyping and sexual harassment in schools on academic motivation (including STEM fields)
  • * meta-analysis and integrative reviews

Please see Professor Leaper's personal web page for more information.

Biography, Education and Training

Research Fellow, Harvard Medical School, Boston

Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles

B.A., Boston University

Honors, Awards and Grants

   * Martin M. Chemers Award for Outstanding Research (2021)

   * Distinguished Professor (2020-on)

   * Fellow, Society for Personality and Social Psychology (2019-on)

   * Golden Apple Teaching Award (2010)

   * Fellow, Association for Psychological Science (2007-on)

Selected Publications

  •    Leaper, C., & Gutierrez, B. C. (2024). Sexism and gender-based discrimination.  Encyclopedia of Adolescence (2nd ed.). Elsevier. 
  •    Leaper, C. (2022). Origins and consequences of childhood gender segregation: Towards an integrative developmental systems model. In D. P. VanderLaan & W. I. Wong (Eds.), Gender and sexuality development. Springer.
  •    Shirefley, T. A., & Leaper, C. (2022). Mothers' and fathers' science-related talk with daughters and sons while reading life and physical science books. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.813572
  •   Starr, C. R., & Leaper, C. (2022). Gender, race, perceived representation, and stereotyped attitudes in relation to undergraduates' pSTEM identity and motivation. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations.  https://doi.org/10.1177/13684302221128235
  •   Gutierrez, B. C., & Leaper, C. (2021). Reconstructing culture: A latent profile analysis of Mexican-heritage young women's cultural practices, gender values, and ethnic identity. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000515