Wicia M. Fang

I am a PhD student at Cornell Psychology, studying perceptions of status and how it impacts social connection and social networks. Ultimately, I am interested in how we can maximize the utility of social capital in mitigating inequality. 

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 addressing: how is status construed and perceived in everyday life? Next, I have begun investigating how perceptions of status relate to meaningful facets of social dynamics (e.g., conversation, network formation). 

I have been enjoying using mixed methods to conduct this research.