Bernice Lott

Bernice Lott (March 31, 1930 – August 14, 2022) was an American social psychologist known for her work on feminist psychology, gender, poverty, social class, and prejudice and discrimination. She was Professor Emerita of Psychology and Woman's Studies at the University of Rhode Island and was a former Dean of its University College.

Lott served as President of the Society for the Psychology of Women, American Psychological Association (APA) Division 35 from 1990 to 1991.

Awards Lott presented the APA Carolyn Wood Sherif Award lecture in 1997 in which she discussed what are widely held beliefs about differences between women and men and why such beliefs are problematic.

In 2011 Lott received the American Psychological Association Gold Medal Award for Life Achievement in Psychology in the Public Interest. Her award citation emphasized that her "leadership on issues of economic injustice paved the way for attention to little-explored dimensions of psychology’s social justice agenda: classism and poverty.

The University of Rhode Island awarded her an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree in 1999.

Biography Bernice Lott was born on March 31, 1930, in Brooklyn, New York. Her parents were Eastern European Jewish immigrants who had experienced the hardships of being immigrants. Lott's upbringing in Brooklyn sparked her interest in social issues and social justice, and as a student, she was politically active, joining a variety of student groups that addressed social issues. Lott was visiting scholar at Brown University’s Center for Research and Teaching on Women, Stanford University’s Institute for Research on Women and Gender, the University of Waikato, New Zealand, and the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Research Lott's research focuses on multiculturalism, economic injustice, interpersonal discrimination. She was interested in the kinds of attitudes people have towards one another, in prejudice, and in war and peace. she considers these issues and explores the common themes and variations in gender learning. develops the thesis that social class, ethnicity, gender, and sexual identity are cultures (among others) in which individuals are located within a broad multicultural mosaic. She argues that each cultural identity exerts an influence on behavior to an extent that varies with its strength or dominance, context, situation, place, time, and expected consequences.

Books Chin, J. L., Lott, B., Rice, J., & Sanchez-Hucles, J. (Eds.). (2008). Women and leadership: Transforming visions and diverse voices. John Wiley & Sons. Lott, B. E. (1981). Becoming a woman: The socialization of gender. Charles C. Thomas Publisher. Lott, B. (1987). Women's lives: Themes and variations in gender learning. Thomson Brooks/Cole Publishing Co. Lott, B. (2009). Multiculturalism and diversity: A social psychological perspective (Vol. 3). John Wiley & Sons. Lott, B., & Bullock, H. E. (2007). Psychology and economic injustice: Personal, professional, and political intersections. American Psychological Association.