My research focuses on the social cognitive processes that underlie person and group perception, and how those processes lead to prejudice and stereotyping. In my primary line of research, my students and I have been investigating how cerebral asymmetries in perception lead to different types of social representations.  We argue that our perceptual systems are biased to produce independent person and group representations of others.  The factors that favor one system or another predict when people will stereotype others. In a second line of research, we are investigating how a desire for group distinctiveness influences prejudice.  This work addresses long standing issues regarding cultural assimilation and diversity.  Finally, we are developing a new line of research investigating the effects of cigarette smoking on social perception.  All of these research programs have direct applications to intergroup relations along the U.S.-Mexico border.