Psychology and History, the focus of A History Psychologist, are the two topics that have always fascinated me. I made the former my occupation, specializing in social and organizational psychology. Yet, my interests in history never diminished. I love the stories that make up the historical record, but serious, and not so serious, historians want Read more

My name is Robert Dipboye (pronounced Duh – boy). I know. It’s a strange name. Probably was DuBois at some time in the page and as happened so many times in American history, got twisted over the years. I am an organizational social psychologist who has taught at four universities and dabbled in a bit Read more

In a decision handed down June 29, 2023, the U. S. Supreme Court ruled that affirmative action is a violation of the Fourteenth amendment of the constitution and can no longer be used as a basis for admission (Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. (SFA) v. President and Fellows of Harvard; SFA v. University of North Read more

The Psychology of Fairness This post as well as part 1 and part 3 examine the recent Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action in the context of social psychological research on fairness and justice. What do psychologists have to say about why so many people see affirmative action as unfair? The most relevant area of Read more

In part 1, part 2, and now part 3 I explore how the work of psychologists and other social scientists can help us understand why people might reject affirmative action as did the Supreme Court justices in the recent ruling. A deeper understanding would come from recognizing the role of history as a psychological process Read more

I am pleased to announce the publication of Authoritarianism in the American South: Beliefs That Led to Slavery and Civil War. In keeping with the theme of this blog, I explore the causes of the American Civil War through the lens of social psychological research on authoritarianism. The primary thesis is that an authoritarian belief Read more