Amber M. Gaffney (Ph.D., Claremont Graduate University) is an Associate Professor of Social Psychology at Cal Poly Humboldt. Her program of research focuses on social identity and categorization processes in social influence. She researches the ways in which both peripheral and prototypical group members and those who seemingly lack the ability to exert influence (e.g., minority groups, outgroup members) can change and extremitize group norms and identities. Amber currently serves as an associate editor for Group Processes and Intergroup Relations.

Teaching: Social Psychology (Undergraduate), Advanced Social Psychology (Graduate), Social Influence (Graduate/Undergraduate), Professional Development Seminar (Graduate), Analysis of Variance (Graduate), Multivariate Statistics (Graduate), Applied Research Methods (Undergraduate).

Benny J. Anjewierden (MA, Research Associate, PhD Student, UCLA) completed his graduate studies at Cal Poly Humboldt’s Psychology department in May 2023, working under Dr. Amber Gaffney to earn his Master's degree in Academic Research with a focus in Social Psychology. He was the 2023 recipient of the Patricia O. McConkey Outstanding Graduate Student award, presented at the 25-year anniversary Group Processes and Intergroup Relations Pre-Conference, and has received Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities, and Emeritus and Retired Faculty Research Awards from Cal Poly Humboldt.

Benny’s research interests on a basic, theoretical level are strongly tied to self-categorization theory and the motivations that underlie group identification. He is specifically interested in how concepts such as prototypicality and entitativity can be demonstrated mathematically, as well as how and why epistemic and enhancement motives explain reactions to deviant group membership. On a more applied level, Benny is interested in community relationships with law enforcement, which is related to his thesis, “Positive and Negative Contact as Predictors of Attitudes toward Law Enforcement.” His role in the Social Identity Lab is to mentor graduate and undergraduate members and manage and create theoretically grounded research.

See Benny's CV

Zoë Royer (MA) earned her MA in social psychology at Cal Poly Humboldt, working under Dr. Amber Gaffney and Dr. Amanda Hahn. She is interested in self-categorization theory, uncertainty-identity theory (particularly the relationship between uncertainty and identification with extremist groups), and how identification, intergroup threat, and status competition can manifest in hormonal and neural responses. She is also interested in sports performance.

Zoë's role in the lab is to mentor undergraduate and graduate students and contribute her methodological and theoretical training and knowledge to advancing the lab's research.

Zoë's CV

Dr. Lily Syfers earned her PhD in social psychology at the University of Alberta. She received her Master's degree in Academic Research Psychology (with a concentration in Social Psychology) as well as her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Cal Poly Humboldt in May, 2018. She is currently a Senior Researcher at BeWorks.

Lily contributes to the Social Identity Lab creatively through research and theory development and also mentors graduate and undergraduate students in the lab, providing them opportunities to gain experiences in data analysis, survey design, conference presentations, and publications. She provides applied advice to lab members through professional development experiences from her own career.