Wicia M. Fang

I am currently a PhD student at Cornell Psychology, studying perceptions of status and how it impacts social connection. An underlying motivation for my work is to maximize the potential of social capital in closing socioeconomic gaps. We know that when social connections form (e.g., cross-SES friendships), there are many benefits. 

But, how are such connections formed and maintained? 

I've started answering this question by first looking at perceptions of status. How is status construed and perceived in general? Next, I have begun investigating how perceptions of status relate to meaningful facets of social dynamics (e.g., peer influence, empathy, conversation). Eventually, I will extend this work to examine social network formations and test interventions that build connection across status barriers.

I have been enjoying using mixed methods, specifically text analysis and social network analysis, to conduct this research.