Human Development Colloquium: Ivan Carbajal (Oregon State)

Latinx Cultural Cognition

Abstract: Hispanic, Latino, Latina, Latinx, and Latine are all names that have been attributed to a group of people that share either a common language and/or Latin American descendance. A lot of conversation about the appropriateness of these labels in attempting to create a pan-ethnic identity have been discussed both academically and more publicly in social media spaces. With the variety of labels, and the confusion among both researchers and the public on which is appropriate, a question of whether using and forcing a specific label matter at all. In this talk, I walk through a study our lab conducted on the impact of forcing labels on individuals of Latin American descent and how this changes their perceptions towards specific societal issues. Further, I mention some of the research our lab has conducted within Latine populations to discover unique cognitive processes that are influenced by generational and language differences.

Bio: Iván Carbajal (he/him/él) is an assistant professor of Psychology and the director of the Psychophysiology, Intersectionality, Latine, Acculturative Science (PILAS) Lab in the Department of Psychology at Oregon State University. Ivan’s externally funded research agenda explores ways in which racial, cultural, and ethnic identity impacts cognition. Specifically, Iván’s work looks at (1) the influence of language on memory, (2) the impacts of biculturalism on cognition, and (3) the impacts of racial identity development on critical consciousness. Iván’s research goals are to bring to the forefront the importance of considering cultural when investigating cognitive processes. His personal goal is to bring more Latines into the world of psychological science.