PAUL H WHITE portrait
  • Vice Chair, Institutional Review Board
  • Associate Professor, Psychology Department
801-585-3998

Publications

  • Sanbonmatsu, D. M., Adams, T., & White, P. H. (2022). Perceived changes in trait attributions to others and the self. The Journal of Social Psychology. DOI: 10.1080/00224545.2022.2136060. Published, 11/2022.
  • Cooley, E. H., Sanbonmatsu, D. M., Strayer, D. L., White, P. H., & Cooper, J. M. (2022). On-Road vehicle study of the experience of automated driving. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 87, 444-453. Published, 05/2022.
  • MacKenzie, J., Smith, T. W., Uchino, B. N., White, P. H., & Light, K. C. (2014). Depressive symptoms, anger/hostility, and relationship quality in young couples. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 33, 380-396. Published, 04/2014.
  • Stillman, T. F., Yamawaki, N., Ridge, R. D., White, P. H., & Copley, K. J. (2009). Comparing Predictors of Sexual Harassment Proclivity Between Japanese and U.S. Men. Journal of Men & Masculinity, 10, 30-43. Published, 2009.
  • Werner, C. M., White, P. H., Byerly, S., & Stoll, R. (2009). Signs that Encourage Internalized Recycling: Clinical Validation, Weak Messages and Positive Counterarguing. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 29, 193-202. Published, 2009.
  • Thoman, D. B., White, P. H., Yamawaki, N., & Koishi, H. (2008). Variations of Gender-Math Stereotype Content Affect Women’s Vulnerability to Stereotype Threat. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, 58, 702-712. Published, 2008.
  • Smith, J. L., Sansone, C., & White, P. H. (2007). The stereotyped task engagement process: The role of interest and achievement motivation. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99, 99- 114. Published, 2007.
  • Fleming, M. A., Petty, R. E., & White, P. H. (2005). Stigmatized targets and evaluation: Prejudice as a determinant of attribute scrutiny and polarization. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 31, 496-507. Published, 2005.
  • Smith, J. L., Morgan, C. L., & White, P. H. (2005). Investigating a measure of computer technology domain identification: A tool for understanding gender differences and stereotypes. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 65, 336-355. Published, 2005.
  • Werner, C. M., Byerly, S., White, P. H., & Kieffer, M. (2004). Validation, persuasion and recycling: Capitalizing on the social ecology of newspaper use. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 26, 183-198. Published, 2004.
  • Smith, J. L., & White, P. H. (2002). An examination of implicitly activated, explicitly activated, and nullified stereotypes on mathematical performance: It's not just a female’s issue. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, 47, 179-191. Published, 2002.
  • Werner, C. M., Stoll, R., Birch, P., White, P. H. (2002). Clinical validation and cognitive elaboration: Signs that encourage sustained recycling. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 24, 185-203. Published, 2002.
  • White, P. H., Sanbonmatsu, D. M., Croyle R. T., & Smittipatana, S. (2002). Test of socially motivated underachievement: “Letting up” for others. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 162-169. Published, 2002.
  • Smith, J. L., & White, P. H. (2001). Development of the domain identification measure: A tool for investigating stereotype threat effects. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 61, 1040-1057. Published, 2001.
  • Harkins, S. G., White, P. H., & Utman, C. H. (2000). The role of internal and external sources of evaluation in motivating task performance. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 26, 100-117. Published, 2000.
  • Petty, R. E., Fleming, M. A., & White, P. H. (1999). Stigmatized sources and persuasion: Prejudice as a determinant of argument scrutiny. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76, 19-34. Published, 1999.
  • Petty, R. E., Wegener, D. T., & White, P. H. (1998). Flexible correction processes in social judgment: Implications for persuasion. Social Cognition, 16, 93-113. Published, 1998.
  • White, P. H., Kjelgaard, M. M., & Harkins, S. G. (1995). Testing the contribution of self- evaluation to goal-setting. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 69-79. Published, 1995.
  • White, P. H., & Harkins, S. G. (1994). Race of source effects in the elaboration likelihood model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 790-807. Published, 1994.

Research Statement

In looking at  my research interests, I place them in three "P's": persuasion, prejudice/ethnic issues, and performance. The question we ask can be simplified to "what motivates behavior" in these areas. That is, we investigate the motivational processes that underlie behavior and how the incorporation of ethnic/diversity issues affects those processes and resultant outcomes in a variety of behavioral situations.

In this pursuit, the three areas often overlap in our investigations. For persuasion, the main focal point is what role does ethnicity/stigma play in persuasion. We explore how the characteristics of the source or target of a message (e.g., race, gender, sexual orientation) affects the persuasiveness and attention given to the communication. In addition, we investigate the phenomenon of preeemptive disclosure of negative information (stealing thunder) as a persuasive technique and its possible limitations. We are expanding this concept to include disclosure of positive information (stealing spotlight) as a strategic tactic possibly to gain reflected glory and/or diminish the positive outcome for someone else.

For prejudice, we have examined how activation of stereotypes may impact one’s work in a domain (stereotype threat). Current work attempts to explore how exposure to stereotype threat situations may impact the usages of stereotypes regarding one’s ingroup and other outgroups.

For performance, we investigate what motivates performance and the factors that may undermine performance. Past research has explored factors such as previously mentioned stereotype threat effects. We have examined the impact of a perceived performance by another person on one’s own performance (socially motivated underachievement). Also, past work has studied group processes effect of social loafing and evaluation on goal setting and outcome production.

Research Keywords

  • Prejudice & Stereotyping
  • Group Processes
  • Diversity
  • Attitudes and Persuasion

Presentations

  • Call, L. R., & White, P. H. (2024, February). Preemptive Disclosure of Positive Information: The Potential Effectiveness of Stealing Spotlight. Poster presented at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Convention, San Diego, CA. Poster, Presented, 02/2024.
  • Neal, A., Norman, J., Call, L. R., Castro Lingl, D., & White, P. H. (2023, February). The Impact of Gender Pronouns on Attitudes and Persuasive Message Processing. Poster presented at the Attitudes and Social Influence Preconference for the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Convention, Atlanta, GA. Poster, Presented, 02/2023.
  • Call, L. R., & White, P. H. (2023, February). Testing the Impact of Same or Different Content in the Preemptive Disclosure of Positive Information. Poster presented at the Attitudes and Social Influence Preconference for the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Convention, Atlanta, GA. Poster, Presented, 02/2023.
  • Mazur, D., & White, P. H. (July, 2012). Not all kinds of affirmation can restore self‐integrity and enhance feelings of control: The negative effect of group‐affirmation on academic performance under stereotype threat. Invited talk presented at European Association of Social Psychology Small Group Meeting on Control Experience, Power and Intergroup Relations, Kazimierz Dolny, Poland. ative effect of group‐affirmation on academic performance under stereotype threat. Invited talk presented at European Association of Social Psychology Small Group Meeting on Control Experience, Power and Intergroup Relations, Kazimierz Dolny, Poland. Invited Talk/Keynote, Presented, 07/2012.
  • Peterson, T. L., Fraughton, T. A., & White, P. H. (March, 2011). Potential negative effects of positive stigmas: Men in mathematics. Poster presented at the University of Utah Undergraduate Research Conference. Poster, Presented, 03/2011.
  • Pengchit, W. & White, P. H. (2010, January). The influences of message framing, dispositional optimism, and issue involvement on promoting cholesterol screening. Poster presented at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Convention, Las Vegas, NV. Poster, Presented, 2010.
  • Peterson, B., White, P. H., & Rhodewalt, F. (2008, February). Defensive religious identity, threat, and emotional prejudice toward homosexuals: Implications for same-sex marriage policy preferences. Poster presented at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Convention, Albuquerque, NM. Poster, Presented, 2008.
  • Peterson, B., White, P. H., & Rhodewalt, F. (2007, May). Narcissism and perceptions of ingroup superiority: Transferring the defensive personal self to the collective self? Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Vancouver, B.C., Canada. Poster, Presented, 2007.
  • White, P. H., & Florsheim, P. W. (2006, August). The University of Utah Summer Research Opportunity Program in Psychology. Member of panel on Diversifying Psychology: Research Training Programs for Ethnic Minority Undergraduates presented at the American Psychological Association Annual Convention, New Orleans, LA. Conference Paper, Refereed, Presented, 2006.
  • Leaf, S. L., & White, P. H. (2006, May). Priming stigma and perceptions of prejudice. Poster accepted at the Midwestern Psychological Association Annual Convention, Chicago, IL. Poster, Presented, 2006.
  • Peterson, B. & White, P. H. (2006, January). Identification, ingroup projection, and schadenfreude in intergroup conflict: An example using rival in-state universities. Poster presented at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Convention, Groups and Intergroup Relations Pre-conference, Palm Springs, CA. Poster, Presented, 2006.
  • Matwin, S., & White, P. H. (2006, January). Watching out for prejudice: Message elaboration as a means of compensating for perceived bias. Poster presented at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Convention, Palm Springs, CA. Poster, Presented, 2006.
  • Vanous, S., White, P. H., Matwin, S., & Sanbonmatsu, D. (2005, May). The role of social concerns in underachievement. Poster presented at the Midwestern Psychological Association Annual Convention, Chicago, IL. Poster, Presented, 2005.
  • Thoman, D. B., White, P. H., Koishi, H., & Yamawaki, N. (2005, January). Cross-cultural differences raise questions about stereotype threat vulnerability. Poster presented at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Convention, New Orleans, LA. Poster, Presented, 2005.
  • Prince, K. C., White, P. H., & Matwin, S. (2005, January). The Relationship between Negative State Self-Esteem by Exclusion and Information Processing: A Self-Motive Perspective. Poster presented at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Convention, New Orleans, LA. Poster, Presented, 2005.
  • Thoman, D. B., White, P. H., & Smith, J. L. (2004, April). Motivation and evaluation in stereotype threat. Poster presented at the Midwestern Psychological Association Annual Convention, Chicago, IL. Poster, Presented, 2004.
  • Matwin, S., & White, P. H. (2004, April). Measuring heterosexuals attitudes towards homosexuals: Motivation to combat prejudice as a unique component of prejudice levels. Poster presented at the Twenty-First Annual Claremont Symposium on Applied Social Psychology: Stigma and Group Inequality: Social Psychological Approaches, Claremont, CA. Poster, Presented, 2004.
  • Prince, K. C., & White, P. H. (2002, May). Stealing-stolen thunder: Beyond processing limitations for stealing thunder. Poster presented at the Midwestern Psychological Association Annual Convention, Chicago, IL. Poster, Presented, 2002.
  • White, P. H., & Sanbonmatsu, D. M. (2002, May). Investigation of socially motivated underachievement: Do people let up for others? Paper presented at the Midwestern Psychological Association Annual Convention, Chicago, IL. Poster, Presented, 2002.
  • Smith, J. L., & White, P. H. (2000, April). Threatened by the norm: Females and mathematical performance. Poster presented at the Rocky Mountain Psychological Annual Convention, Tucson, AZ. Poster, Presented, 2000.
  • Montes, A. Y., & White, P. H. (2000, April). Gender differences in stereotype threat and verbal domain identification. Poster presented at the Western Psychological Annual Convention, Portland, OR. Poster, Presented, 2000.
  • White, P. H., Williams, K. D. & Joe, J. C. (2000, May). Limitations of stealing thunder as a persuasive technique. Poster presented at the Midwestern Psychological Association Annual Convention, Chicago, IL. Poster, Presented, 2000.
  • Smith, J. L., & White, P. H. (1999, June). Measurement of domain identification: Development of the Academic Description Question. Poster presented at the American Psychological Society Annual Convention, Denver, CO. Poster, Presented, 1999.
  • White, P. H., (1998, April). Do I have to be Black?: Running from the stereotypes of Black identity. Paper presented at the Popular Culture Association Annual Convention, Orlando, FL. Conference Paper, Refereed, Presented, 1998.
  • White, P. H., & Williams, K. D. (1998, August). Does stealing thunder always work?: Black candidates beware! Poster presented at the American Psychological Association Annual Convention, San Francisco, CA. Poster, Presented, 1998.
  • Wegener, D. T., Petty, R. E., & White, P. H. (1996, May). Corrections for perceived biases in persuasion. Paper presented at the Midwestern Psychological Association Annual Convention, Chicago, IL. Conference Paper, Refereed, Presented, 1996.
  • Fleming, M. A., White, P. H., & Petty, R. E. (1995, May). The Black target processing effect. Paper presented at the Midwestern Psychological Association Annual Convention, Chicago, IL. Conference Paper, Refereed, Presented, 1995.
  • Fleming, M. A., Petty, R. E., & White, P. H. (1995, June). Prejudice, message processing, and persuasion. Paper presented at the Association for Consumer Research European Conference, Copenhagen, The Netherlands . Conference Paper, Refereed, Presented, 1995.
  • White, P. H., Petty, R. E., & Wegener, D. T. (1995, July). Bias correction for source cue effects in a persuasive situation. Poster presented at the American Psychological Society Annual Convention, New York City, NY. Poster, Presented, 1995.
  • Fleming, M. A., White, P. H., & Petty, R. E. (1994, July). The effects of source and target race on persuasion. Poster presented at the American Psychological Society Annual Convention, Washington, DC. Poster, Presented, 1994.
  • White, P. H., & Petty, R. E. (1994, July). Effects of scrutiny by a minority member on Black source processing. Poster presented at the American Psychological Society Annual Convention, Washington, DC. Poster, Presented, 1994.
  • White, P. H., & Harkins, S. G. (1993, April). The effects of distraction on Black processing. Paper presented at the Midwestern Psychological Association Annual Convention, Chicago, IL. Conference Paper, Refereed, Presented, 1993.
  • White, P. H., & Harkins, S. G. (1993, April). The effects of distraction on Black processing. Paper presented at the Midwestern Psychological Association Annual Convention, Chicago, IL. Conference Paper, Refereed, Presented, 1993.
  • White, P. H., & Harkins, S. G. (1993, June). The effect of a standard's informativeness in social loafing. Poster presented at the American Psychological Society Annual Convention, Chicago, IL. Poster, Presented, 1993.
  • White, P. H., & Harkins, S. G. (1993, June). The effects of prejudice and expectancy on the Black processing effect. Poster presented at the American Psychological Society Annual Convention, Chicago, IL. Poster, Presented, 1993.
  • White, P. H., & Harkins, S. G. (1992, May). Race as a simple cue in the elaboration likelihood model. Paper presented at the Midwestern Psychological Association Annual Convention, Chicago, IL. Conference Paper, Refereed, Presented, 1992.
  • Utman, C. H., White, P. H., & Harkins, S. G. (1992, April). The effect of stringent goals on social loafing. Poster presented at the Eastern Psychological Association Annual Convention, Boston, MA. Poster, Presented, 1992.
  • Kjelgaard-Bernstein, M., White, P. H., & Harkins, S. G. (1991, June). The effect of goal difficulty on social loafing and self-evaluation. Poster presented at the American Psychological Society Annual Convention, Washington, DC. Poster, Presented, 1991.
  • White, P. H., & Harkins, S. G. (1991, June). Cue effects of race in the ELM paradigm. Poster presented at the American Psychological Society Annual Convention, Washington, DC. Poster, Presented, 1991.
  • White, P. H., & Harkins, S. G. (1990, August). Social loafing, self-evaluation and goal setting. Poster presented at the American Psychological Association Annual Convention, Boston, MA. Poster, Presented, 1990.

Grants, Contracts & Research Gifts

  • Summer Research Training Program for Underrepresented Undergraduates. PI: Paul W. Florsheim. Co-PI(s): Paul H. White, Alan Fogel, David Sanbonmatsu, Vince Filoteo. National Institutes of Mental Health, 07/01/1998 - 06/30/2003. Total project budget to date: $0.00
  • Effects of Ethnicity on Information Processing. PI: Paul H. White. National Science Foundation, 10/01/1996 - 09/30/1998. Total project budget to date: $0.00