Why does inequality persist — and what can we do about it?
The IIVL at Clark University tackles some of the most urgent questions in social psychology: Why do some societies tolerate sexual violence while others resist it? How do shared belief systems — about gender, race, immigration, and sexuality — shape discrimination and physical harm? And critically, what actually works to disrupt those beliefs and prevent violence?
We investigate these questions at multiple levels of analysis, from individual psychology to societal norms, across intergroup relations involving gender, race, nationality, and sexual orientation. Our work is theoretically grounded in social dominance theory and integrates social identity theory, moral psychology, and intergroup emotion. It is also applied — we develop and evaluate real prevention programs and collective action interventions that address real-world problems.
If you want to do research that is both intellectually rigorous and socially meaningful, this is the lab.
MEMBERS
Faculty
Andrew L. Stewart is an Associate Professor of Social Psychology at Clark University. His research examines how ideological norms shape violence and discrimination, and how to disrupt those norms through prevention programs and collective action. [Learn more about his research → Research]
Graduate Students
Dr. Stewart will not be considering accepting graduate students during the 2026–2027 application cycle to begin in the 2027–2028 academic year. For more information on his mentoring philosophy and what he looks for in prospective students, visit To Prospective Applicants
Graduate training in the IIVL means working on publishable research from day one, developing strong quantitative skills (including multilevel modeling), and being part of an intellectually serious and supportive lab community.
Current Students: Carmen Marazzi (5th Year), Hannah Holt (3rd Year), Diana Nguyen (2nd Year)
Alumni: Julia Tran, Maho Aikawa, Nida Jamshed
Undergraduate Students
Research experience is one of the most valuable things you can get from your undergraduate education — and the IIVL is a place where that experience is real. You’ll be doing literature reviews, contributing to data collection and analysis, developing research materials, and participating in professional development alongside graduate students and faculty.
Undergraduates join the lab for research credit through PSYC 210: Research on Ideology and Violence, which requires approximately 10 hours per week. You’ll attend weekly lab meetings that combine updates on ongoing research, discussion of key readings, and professional development focused on your interests and goals.
To get started, all lab members read Social Dominance Theory — the foundational framework for everything we do in the lab.
Ready to apply? Download the application and email it to andstewart@clarku.edu. Don’t hesitate to reach out with questions first.
