Associate Chair for Diversity Initiatives & Space Management; University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor of Psychology
About
My research can be broadly categorized in the area of African American psychology, with a focus on racial and ethnic identity development, academic motivation and academic achievement. A theme of much of my research is understanding the psychological and environmental factors that impact African American students achievement. My research and scholarship have led me to challenge the notion that African American students are anti-intellectual, and to critically re-examine the impact of racial and ethnic identity on academic achievement. In recent years I have started exploring the impostor phenomenon and its relationship to mental health and academic outcomes among minoritized students.
A theme of much of my research is understanding the psychological and environmental factors that impact African American student achievement. My research and scholarship have sought to advance our understanding of one of the most pressing educational issues of our time: the underachievement of African American students. Sensitivity to cultural and racial factors as central, and not peripheral to psychological inquiry is a characteristic of much of my research.
Recent Books:
Cokley, K. Editor. (November 2021). Making Black Lives Matter: Confronting Anti-Black Racism. Cognella Press.
Select Recent Publications:
Cokley, K., Krueger, N., Garba, R., Bailey, M., Harris, K., Hall, S., Coleman, C., & Archer, J. (2022). Lawyering While Black: Perceived Stress as a Mediator of Impostor Feelings, Race-Related Stress and Mental Health Among Black Attorneys. Journal of Black Psychology, 48(2), 206-232.
Cokley, K., Krueger, N., Cunningham, S. R., Burlew, K., Hall, S., Harris, K., Castelin, S., & Coleman, C. (2021 published online). The COVID-19/Racial Injustice Syndemic and Mental Health Among Black Americans: The Roles of General and Race-Related COVID Worry, Cultural Mistrust and Perceived Discrimination. Journal of Community Psychology.
Krueger, N., Garba, R., Stone-Sabali, S., Cokley, K., & Bailey, M. (2021 published online). African American Activism: The Predictive Role of Race-Related Stress, Racial Identity, and Social Justice Beliefs. Journal of Black Psychology.
DeBlaere, C., Singh, A., Wilcox, M., Cokley, K., Delgado-Romer, E., Scalise, D., & Shawahin, L. (2019). Social justice in counseling psychology: Then, now, and looking forward. The Counseling Psychologist, 47(6), 938 – 962.
Cokley, K. & Garba, R. (2018). Speaking truth to power: How Black/African psychology changed the discipline of psychology. Journal of Black Psychology, 44(8), 695-721.
Cokley, K., Stone, S., Krueger, N., Bailey, M., Garba, R., & Hurst, A. (2018). Self-esteem as a mediator of the link between perfectionism and the impostor phenomenon. Personality and Individual Differences. 135, 292-297.
Cokley, K., Smith, L., Bernard, D., Hurst, A., Jackson, S., Stone, S., & ... Roberts, D. (2017). Impostor feelings as a moderator and mediator of the relationship between perceived discrimination and mental health among racial/ethnic minority college students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 64(2), 141-154.
Related News Items
Quoted in the following stories:
https://www.newtimes.co.rw/lifestyle/understanding-types-imposter-syndrome-how-overcome-it
https://newsone.com/4371314/black-gun-ownership-police-fear-of-black-men/
https://theblackwallsttimes.com/2022/03/04/column-imposter-syndrome-doesnt-have-to-take-over-your-life/
https://afro.com/wordinblack-black-men-are-missing-from-school-psychology-that-matters/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/psychology-podcast-understand-behavior-mind/2021/07/09/1cd67246-df4b-11eb-9f54-7eee10b5fcd2_story.html
https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2022/02/15/ut-faculty-council-passes-resolution-defending-teaching-critical-race-theory/6754421001/
Recent Op-Eds
https://www.reporternews.com/story/opinion/contributors/2022/04/02/supreme-court-nominees-race-gender-shouldnt-loom-large-hearings/7235081001/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2021/07/06/systemic-racism-pervasive-critical-race-theory-reminder/5336313001/?gnt-cfr=1
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2021/04/23/police-officers-deescalation-training-fear-toward-black-men-column/7225313002/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/07/13/black-lives-matter-exploited-for-political-economic-gain-column/5397072002/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/02/21/black-history-month-racism-slavery-descendants-immigrants-column/4788210002/
