Benjamin Saunders

Benjamin A. Saunders, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at Long Island University - Brooklyn's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, specializing in psychology. As founder and director of the Politics, Race, and Ideology Collaboratory (PRIDECo), his work bridges social and political psychology with empirical analysis in R programming.

• Education: B.A. (University of Michigan), M.A. & Ph.D. (University of Illinois at Chicago)
• Key research areas: System justification theory, authoritarianism, racial inequality, and stereotype threat
• Methodological expertise: Social cognitive methods and projective techniques

Dr. Saunders investigates how personality traits influence prejudice and why individuals may unconsciously uphold social systems that conflict with their interests. His work connects political ideology to societal challenges like immigration, climate change, and class-based authoritarianism, while addressing false consciousness and group dynamics.

Recent scholarship analyzes racial system justification, left-wing authoritarianism measurement issues, and stereotyping in social contexts. His publications span topics including catcalling, stop-and-frisk policy, and 9/11 psychological impacts.