Cynthia Willis Esqueda
- SPN Mentor
Dr. Cynthia Willis Esqueda joined the Department of Psychology and the Ethnic Studies Institute in 1991 at University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She received her Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Kansas. Dr. Willis Esqueda is interested in motivated social cognitive processes that accompany inter-group conflict. Her research projects examine the ideological bases of race/ethnic attitudes and how biased attitudes influence decision making, particularly in the legal system in areas such as immigration, criminal culpability, and violence. Dr. Willis Esqueda is also interested in how ethnic identity can serve as a psychological buffer against biased treatment. She holds affiliation in Native American Studies and Latino Studies. She is the incoming co-chair of the Minority Affairs Committee in American Psychology-Law Society, Division 41.
Primary Interests:
- Culture and Ethnicity
- Intergroup Relations
- Law and Public Policy
- Person Perception
- Prejudice and Stereotyping
- Social Cognition
Research Group or Laboratory:
Journal Articles:
- Espinoza, R. K. E., & Willis Esqueda, C. (2008). Defendant and defense attorney characteristics and their effects on juror decision making and prejudice against Mexican Americans. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 14, 364-371.
- Freng, S., & Willis Esqueda, C. (2011). A question of honor: Chief Wahoo and American Indian stereotype activation among a university based sample. The Journal of Social Psychology, 151, 577–591.
- Tehee, M. & Willis Esqueda, C. (2008). American Indian and European American women’s perceptions of domestic violence. Journal of Family Violence, 23, 25–35.
- Willis Esqueda, C., Espinoza, R. K. E., & Culhane, S. (2008). Effects of race, ses of defendant, and ses of crime on culpability decision making: A cross-cultural examination of European American and Mexican American mock jurors. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 30, 181-199.
- Willis Esqueda, C., Hack, L., & Tehee, M. (2010). Perceptions of American Indian domestic violence with evidence of alcohol use: The role of anti-Indian bias. American Indian Culture and Research Journal, 34, 61-76.
Other Publications:
- Willis Esqueda, C. (2010). Cross-cultural perspectives on stigma. In R.L. Wiener, R. Schopp, & S. Wilborn (Eds.), Stigma and Discrimination Law. New York: Springer.
- Willis Esqueda, C. (2007). Racial profiling as a minority issue. In R.L. Wiener, B.H. Bornstein, R. Schopp, & S. Wilborn (Eds.), Legal Decision Making in Everyday Life: Controversies in Social Consciousness (pp. 75-87). New York: Springer.
Courses Taught:
- Ethnic Studies: The Minority Experience
- Graduate Seminar in Group Behavior
- Graduate Seminar in Social Psychology
- Graduate Seminar on Psychology Race and Ethnicity
- Introduction to Native American Studies
- Introductory Social Psychology
- Psychology of Immigration
- Psychology of Racism
Cynthia Willis Esqueda
Department of Psychology
238 Burnett Hall
University of Nebraska--Lincoln
Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0308
United States of America
- Phone: (402) 472-3740