Cathering Thomas is an Assistant Professor in Organizational Studies and the Department of Psychology. She studies poverty and inequality and their remedies using the insights of social psychology and the lens of cultural psychology. Her research seeks to uncover social psychological processes that undermine the economic mobility of people in poverty and simultaneously depress public will to address inequality, perpetuating systems of poverty and inequality.
Recent popular press and talks:
Thomas, C., Markus, H.R., & Walton, G. (2026, February 6). How Can Psychology Help Fight Poverty? SPSP Character & Context Blog.
Effective Altruism Global (October 2025). High-impact behavioral science for strengthening EA initiatives.
Wadley, J. (2025, November 14). Fighting poverty may require cultural wisdom, not just cash. University of Michigan News.
Weir, K. (2025, June 30). Breakthrough Psychological Science: Culture and the self: the universal capacity to be shaped by your contexts. American Psychological Association.
Thomas, C. (2024, April 26). “Culturally attuned development: Why it matters & how to do it”. The Agency Fund Blog.
Byrne, Dom. (2024, January 26). “Why we should think about more than cash when seeking to eradicate poverty“. Nature Careers Podcast.
