AMES, Iowa -- The American Psychological Association (APA) has awarded Iowa State University graduate student Muniba Saleem a 2010 APA Dissertation Research Award for her research on intergroup conflict and peaceful conflict resolution.
The honor recognizes outstanding psychological research and includes a cash award of $1,000.
Saleem, of Toledo, Ohio, conducted her study, "Reducing Intergroup Biases and Conflict Through Attachment Theory," under Craig Anderson, distinguished professor of psychology and director of the Center for the Study of Violence at Iowa State.
"Receiving this award is a remarkable achievement for a remarkable student," Anderson said. "Not only does it signify that Muniba's research is viewed as among the best psychological research in the country, it also enables her to continue her groundbreaking study."
In her research, Saleem looked at how intergroup bias and conflict can be resolved in positive ways. Intergroup bias -- preferring people who are part of their own group over those who are not -- is often prevalent in intergroup conflicts and frequently leads to more serious forms of discrimination, such as intergroup aggression.
"We predicted that people who have a sense of secure attachment -- in other words, who have a positive view of themselves and others around them -- would have less intergroup bias and would be more likely to cooperate with those outside their group as compared to people who are not secure," Saleem said.
"We assumed this occurs because a sense of secure attachment allows one to feel safe and reduces potential threats and fear of unknown situations or persons," she explained.
Saleem designed two experiments that used a computer decision-making game. To play the game, participants needed to decide how to split points between themselves and another person, who may or may not be part of the participant's group.
"In the first experiment, we wanted to see if attachment differences influence unconscious stereotypes of other groups," Saleem explained. "In the second experiment, we wanted to see if attachment differences influence cooperative, competitive, aggressive and altruistic choices within intergroup settings.
"We're hoping that a sense of secure attachment reduces unconscious stereotypes of other groups and results in more cooperative and altruistic choices within intergroup settings," she said.
Saleem will use the cash award to offset her research costs,
which included hiring a programmer to design the computer game.
After graduating in May, Saleem wants to do research and have
the opportunity to teach in an academic setting.
