Rebecca Neel

Becca Neel is an Associate Professor in Psychology. She received her M.A. and Ph.D. in Psychology from Arizona State University, and her B.A. in English from Carleton College. Before coming to Toronto, she was an Assistant Professor at the University of Iowa's Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences.

Dr. Neel’s research seeks to understand how our beliefs (e.g., stereotypes about who is dangerous or powerful, beliefs about whether people can change) and motivations (e.g., to protect ourselves, to be a part of social groups, to find romantic partners, to care for family members) shape who we value, fear, or ignore. Much of her current work focuses on understanding social invisibility: why are some social groups ignored and treated with indifference? How does the experience of being invisible differ from being seen as a threat to others? Dr. Neel has been named a Sage Young Scholar by the Foundation for Personality and Social Psychology and an Association for Psychological Science Rising Star.