Victoria Plaut comes from a Colombian-American family, speaks three languages, and has lived in three countries and in multiple U.S. regions. Armed with a personal background in cultural variation and relations, she developed an interest in diversity at a very early age. After receiving a BA at Harvard, an MSc at the London School of Economics, and a PhD at Stanford, she became an assistant professor at Holy Cross, the University of Georgia, and then UC Berkeley.

Dr. Plaut’s research on diversity, culture, and inclusion addresses the challenges and opportunities of working, living, and learning in diverse environments. Recent projects include studies related to colorblind vs. multicultural models of diversity, diversity climate, diversity resistance, perceptions of inclusion, gender diversity and recruitment, and models of deafness and disability, among others.

Primary Interests:

Applied Social Psychology
Culture and Ethnicity
Gender Psychology
Intergroup Relations
Interpersonal Processes
Law and Public Policy
Organizational Behavior
Prejudice and Stereotyping
Self and Identity

Applied Social Psychology
Culture and Ethnicity
Gender Psychology
Intergroup Relations
Interpersonal Processes

Law and Public Policy
Organizational Behavior
Prejudice and Stereotyping
Self and Identity

Research Group or Laboratory:

Culture, Diversity, and Intergroup Relations Laboratory
Interactive Map

Journal Articles:

Adams, G., & Plaut, V. C. (2003). The cultural grounding of personal relationship: Friendship in North American and West African worlds. Personal Relationships, 10, 335-349.
Anderson, S., Adams, G., & Plaut, V. C. (2008). The cultural grounding of personal relationship: The importance of attractiveness in everyday life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95, 352-368.
Cheryan, S., Plaut, V. C., Davies, P. G., & Steele, C. M. (2009). Ambient belonging: How stereotypical cues impact gender participation in computer science. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
Plaut, V. C. (2010). Diversity science: Why and how difference makes a difference (Target Article). Psychological Inquiry, 21, 77-99.
Plaut, V. C., Adams, G., & Anderson, S. (2009). Does attractiveness buy happiness? “It depends on where you’re from.” Personal Relationships.
Plaut, V. C., Markus, H. R., & Lachman, M. E. (2002). Place matters: Consensual features and regional variation in American well-being and self. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83, 160-184.
Plaut, V. C., Thomas, K. M., & Goren, M. J. (2009). Is multiculturalism or color blindness better for minorities? Psychological Science, 20, 444-446.
Stevens, F. G., Plaut, V. C., & Sanchez-Burks, J. (2008). Unlocking the benefits of diversity: All-inclusive multiculturalism and positive organizational change. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 44, 116-133.

Other Publications:

Plaut, V. C. (2002). Cultural models of diversity in America: The psychology of difference and inclusion. In R. Shweder, M. Minow, & H. R. Markus (Eds.), Engaging cultural differences: The multicultural challenge in liberal democracies (pp. 365-395). New York: Russell Sage Foundation Press.
Plaut, V. C., & Markus, H. R. (2005). The “inside” story: A cultural-historical analysis of being smart and motivated, American style. In C. Dweck & A. Elliott, Handbook of competence and motivation. New York: Guilford.
Thomas, K., & Plaut, V. (2008). The many faces of diversity resistance in the workplace. In K. Thomas (Ed.), Diversity resistance in organizations: Manifestations and solutions (pp. 1-22). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Courses Taught:

Culture and Diversity
Psychology of Diversity and Discrimination in American Law
Social Psychology

Culture and Diversity
Psychology of Diversity and Discrimination in American Law

Social Psychology

Victoria Plaut
UC Berkeley School of Law
Boalt Hall
Berkeley, CA 94720-7200
United States

Phone: (510) 642-2523