Sarah-Jane Leslie Explained

Sarah-Jane Leslie
Discipline:Philosophy
Sub Discipline:Empirical Philosophy of Mind; Social Cognition
Alma Mater:Rutgers University,
Princeton University
Workplaces:Princeton University
Titles:Class of 1943 Professor of Philosophy

Sarah-Jane Leslie is the Class of 1943 Professor of Philosophy and former Dean of the Graduate School at Princeton University,[1] where she is also affiliated faculty in the Department of Psychology,[2] the Kahneman-Treisman Center for Behavioral Science and Public Policy,[3] the Program in Cognitive Science, the Program in Linguistics, and the University Center for Human Values.[4]

She is known for her work on the cognitive underpinnings of generic generalizations and the relationship between these generalizations and social cognition,[5] and her work on perceptions of brilliance and academic gender gaps.[6] She is the author of numerous articles in philosophy and psychology,[7] and has published in journals such as Science,[8] Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS),[9] Cognitive Psychology,[10] and Philosophical Review.[11] Leslie's work has been discussed by various media outlets, including The Washington Post,[12] NBC,[13] and The Wall Street Journal,[14] and on the radio at NPR,[15] WHYY,[16] and CBC Radio.[17]

Education and career

In 1998 Leslie entered Rutgers University as an undergraduate majoring in cognitive science, mathematics and philosophy. She graduated in 2002 summa cum laude.[7] She received her Ph.D. in philosophy in 2007 from Princeton University and was subsequently appointed as Assistant Professor to the philosophy faculty that same year. In 2013 she was awarded tenure and promoted to Full Professor, skipping the position of Associate Professor.[18] In 2014, she was named Class of 1943 Professor of Philosophy.[19]

Leslie served as Dean of the Graduate School at Princeton University[20] from January 1, 2018 until July 1, 2021.[21]

Prior to being named dean, Leslie held several administrative, professional, and service positions at Princeton and served on numerous committees, including the Faculty Advisory Committee on Diversity and the Committee on Appointments and Advancements. Between 2014 and 2017 Leslie was the Director of Princeton's Program in Linguistics,[22] the Director of the Program in Cognitive Science, which she founded in 2015,[23] Acting Chair of the Department of Philosophy, and Vice Dean for Faculty Development in the Office of the Dean of the Faculty.[24]

In 2013, Leslie recorded a series of videos titled Philosophical Conversations, in which she interviewed several prominent philosophers including Rae Langton, Roger Scruton, Joshua Knobe and Kwame Anthony Appiah. The series was sponsored by the Marc Sanders Foundation and made available free to promote excellence in philosophy.[25]

Research areas

Leslie's main research interests lie at the intersection of philosophy and psychology. Much of her work has focused on generic generalizations, which are articulated in language via sentences such as "tigers are striped", "a duck lays eggs", "mosquitoes carry West Nile virus".[5] These sentences are difficult to analyze from the perspective of formal semantics, but are nonetheless easy for young children to acquire and process.[26] [27] These findings and others have led Leslie and her collaborators to hypothesize that generic sentences articulate cognitively fundamental, default generalizations – that is, the judgments formed by our cognitive systems' most basic way of generalizing information about kinds and categories.[11] [26]

Leslie's work has shown important connections between generic generalizations and social cognition.[28] For example, she and NYU psychologist Marjorie Rhodes—along with Rhodes' student Christina Tworek—found that when preschool-aged children hear a novel social group described with generic language, they come to think of the group in essentialist terms—that is, as marking deep, important, and inherent distinctions amongst people. Further, they found that when parents themselves hold such beliefs about a social group, they tend to produce more generic language when describing the group to their children.[9] Thus, generic language may be an important and powerful mechanism by which social essentialist beliefs are implicitly communicated across generations.[28] More generally, Leslie's work has pointed to multiple connections between generic generalizations and social essentialism, stereotyping, and prejudice.[29] [30] [31]

More recently, Leslie and NYU psychologist Andrei Cimpian have studied the impact of stereotypes that link brilliance with men more so than women.[32] In a 2015 paper published in Science, they found that academic disciplines that are perceived to require brilliance for success have larger gender gaps, even when adjusting for standardized test scores and other factors.[8] [33] In subsequent work, they found that even the frequency of adjectives like "brilliant" and "genius" in teaching evaluations can predict how diverse an academic field is.[34] Their work has also examined the developmental roots of these stereotypes. In an article published in Science in 2017 with psychologist Lin Bian,[35] they found that girls begin to absorb stereotypes linking brilliance with males by age 6. Further, 6- and 7-year-old girls show less engagement and motivation than boys when an activity is described as being for kids who are "really, really smart," but not when it is described as being for kids who "work really, really hard." This suggests that stereotypes about brilliance may impact girls’ choices from a very young age. As of January 2017, both Science papers were in the journal's top 1% for media uptake and attention according to Altmetrics.[36] [37]

Awards and fellowships

Leslie has received numerous awards and fellowships, including the Class of 1943 Professorship in Philosophy,[19] the Jacob T. Viner University Preceptorship,[38] the Mrs. Giles Whiting Honorific Fellowship,[39] and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.[40] In collaboration with Dr. Marjorie Rhodes and Dr. Andrei Cimpian, she has been the recipient of multiple grants from the National Science Foundation,[41] [42] the National Institutes of Health,[43] and other sources. Cimpian and Leslie's work on academic gender gaps was cited as one of the most interesting scientific findings of 2015 by Edge.[44] Leslie has delivered the Gareth Evans Memorial Lecture at Oxford University,[7] and the Daniel Greenberg Distinguished Scholar Lecture at Reed College.[45] She was awarded the Stanton Prize by the Society for Philosophy and Psychology,[46] and named a 250th Anniversary Fellow of Rutgers University.[47]

Family

Leslie's father, Alan Leslie, is Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science[48] at Rutgers University.

Selected publications

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Faculty – Department of Philosophy. Princeton University. 1 July 2014. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20140831052205/http://philosophy.princeton.edu/people/faculty. 31 August 2014.
  2. Web site: Department of Psychology. Princeton University. 17 July 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140728200252/https://psych.princeton.edu/psychology/people/associated/index.php. 28 July 2014.
  3. Web site: Kahneman-Treisman Center for Behavioral Science and Public Policy. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170113144256/https://behavioralpolicy.princeton.edu/people. 2017-01-13. 11 January 2017. Princeton University.
  4. Web site: Princeton UCHV. Princeton University. 17 July 2014. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20140504235946/http://uchv.princeton.edu/people/faculty_associates.php. 4 May 2014.
  5. News: Menconi. David. Philosophy tests. 16 May 2012. Princeton Alumni Weekly. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20140728200450/http://paw.princeton.edu/issues/2012/05/16/pages/1568/index.xml?page=3&. 28 July 2014.
  6. News: Dunham. Will. In U.S. academia, fields that cherish sheer genius shun women. 11 January 2017. Reuters. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170113155254/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-science-sexism-idINKBN0KO2DM20150115. 13 January 2017.
  7. Web site: Sarah-Jane Leslie CV. Princeton University. 1 July 2014. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170113144241/http://www.princeton.edu/leslie/WebCV.pdf. 13 January 2017.
  8. Expectations of brilliance underlie gender distributions across academic disciplines. Science. 347. 6219. 262–265. 10.1126/science.1261375. 25593183. 2015. Leslie. S.-J.. Cimpian. A.. Meyer. M.. Freeland. E.. free.
  9. Rhodes. Marjorie. Leslie. Sarah-Jane. Tworek. Christina. Cultural Transmission of Social Essentialism. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2012. 109. 34. 13526–13531. 10.1073/pnas.1208951109. 22869722. 3427061. free.
  10. Leslie. Sarah-Jane. Gelman. Susan A.. Quantified Statements are Recalled as Generics: Evidence from Preschool Children and Adults. Cognitive Psychology. 2012. 64. 3. 186–214. 10.1016/j.cogpsych.2011.12.001. 22225996. 3267382.
  11. Leslie. Sarah-Jane. Generics: Cognition and Acquisition. Philosophical Review. 2008. 117. 1. 1–47. 10.1215/00318108-2007-023.
  12. News: Gender gap: Women welcome in 'hard working' fields, but 'genius' fields are male-dominated, study finds. washingtonpost.com. March 6, 2018. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171201041520/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2015/01/15/gender-gap-women-welcome-in-hard-working-fields-but-genius-fields-are-male-dominated-study-finds/. 2017-12-01.
  13. News: Cracking the Gender Gap: Why 'Genius' Fields Tend To Snub Women. nbcnews.com. March 6, 2018. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170113164533/https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cracking-gender-gap-why-genius-fields-tend-snub-women-n287161. 2017-01-13.
  14. News: The Dangers of Believing That Talent Is Innate. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170129001928/http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-dangers-of-believing-that-talent-is-innate-1423068148. wsj.com (Wall Street Journal). March 6, 2018. 2017-01-29.
  15. Web site: Do Fictional Geniuses Hold Back Real Women?. www.npr.org. May 11, 2018. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20150428035057/http://www.npr.org/blogs/ed/2015/01/15/377517778/do-fictional-geniuses-hold-back-real-women. 2015-04-28.
  16. News: Academic gender gaps tied to stereotype about genius, Princeton study finds. www.newsworks.org. May 11, 2018. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20170113130658/http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/health-science/item/77366-academic-gender-gaps-tied-to-stereotype-about-genius. 2017-01-13.
  17. News: We expect you'll be brilliant! Unless you're a woman. www.cbc.ca. May 11, 2018. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170113134305/http://www.cbc.ca/radio/spark/280-beeps-shift-swapping-the-myth-of-genius-and-more-1.3001727/we-expect-you-ll-be-brilliant-unless-you-re-a-woman-1.3002196. 2017-01-13.
  18. Web site: Sarah-Jane Leslie has been double promoted from Assistant Professor to Professor effective 1 July 2013. Princeton University. 6 June 2014. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304093649/http://philosophy.princeton.edu/content/sarah-jane-leslie-has-been-double-promoted-assistant-professor-professor-effective-1-july. 4 March 2016.
  19. Web site: Professorships. Princeton University. 17 July 2014. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20140308134717/http://www.princeton.edu/dof/faculty/professorships/. 8 March 2014.
  20. Web site: Sarah-Jane Leslie named dean of the Graduate School at Princeton.
  21. Web site: Leslie to step down as dean of the Graduate School. 2021-09-04. Princeton University. en.
  22. Web site: Linguistics. Princeton University. 17 July 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20151023211933/http://linguistics.princeton.edu/. 23 October 2015.
  23. Web site: Sarah Jane Leslie Named Dean of the Graduate School, Princeton. cogsci.princeton.edu. 6 March 2018. bot: unknown. https://web.archive.org/web/20180306114041/https://cogsci.princeton.edu/news/sarah-jane-leslie-named-dean-graduate-school-princeton. 6 March 2018.
  24. Web site: Chairs and Faculty since 1949 - Department of Philosophy. princeton.edu. 12 January 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170113144108/https://philosophy.princeton.edu/about/faculty-1949#16-17. 13 January 2017.
  25. Web site: Philosophical Conversations – Marc Sanders Foundation. Marc Sanders Foundation. 6 June 2014. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20140706040119/http://www.marcsandersfoundation.org/interviews-lectures/philosophical-conversations/. 6 July 2014.
  26. Leslie. Sarah-Jane. Generics Articulate Default Generalizations. Recherches Linguistiques de Vincennes. 2012. 41. 41. 25–44. 10.4000/rlv.2048. free.
  27. Book: Pelletier, Francis Jeffry. Kinds, Things, and Stuff: Mass Terms and Generics. 2010. Oxford University Press. USA. 9780195382891.
  28. Waxman. Sandra R.. Social Categories are Shaped by Social Experience. Trends in Cognitive Sciences. 2012. 16. 11. 531–532. 10.1016/j.tics.2012.09.007. 23026021. 30519416.
  29. News: Menconi. David. Philosophy Tests. 16 May 2012. Princeton Alumni Weekly. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20140728200450/http://paw.princeton.edu/issues/2012/05/16/pages/1568/index.xml?page=3&. 28 July 2014.
  30. Book: Witt, Charlotte. Feminist Metaphysics. 2011. Springer. 9789048137831.
  31. Rhodes. Marjorie. How Two Intuitive Theories Shape the Development of Social Cognition. Child Development Perspectives. 2013. 7. 1. 12–16. 10.1111/cdep.12007.
  32. News: Men are brilliant, women are bossy: What research tells us about unconscious bias, gender and "genius". www.salon.com. May 11, 2018. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170113150757/http://www.salon.com/2015/02/10/men_are_brilliant_women_are_bossy_what_research_tells_us_about_unconscious_bias_gender_and_genius/. 2017-01-13.
  33. Response to Comment on Expectations of Brilliance Underlie Gender Distributions Across Academic Disciplines. www.princeton.edu. May 11, 2018. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170113144245/http://www.princeton.edu/leslie/CimpianLeslie_Science_response.pdf. 2017-01-13.
  34. News: My Brilliant (White Male) Professors. www.insidehighered.com. May 11, 2018. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170116173420/https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/03/04/study-links-professors-race-and-gender-brilliant-and-genius-ratings-ratemyprofessors. 2017-01-16.
  35. Gender stereotypes about intellectual ability emerge early and influence children's interests. Science. 355. 6323. 389–391. 10.1126/science.aah6524. 28126816. 2017. Bian. Lin. Leslie. Sarah-Jane. Cimpian. Andrei. 206652658.
  36. Web site: Altmetric – Gender stereotypes about intellectual ability emerge early and influence children's interests. www.altmetric.com. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170202065425/https://www.altmetric.com/details/15836717#score. 2017-02-02.
  37. Web site: Altmetric – Expectations of brilliance underlie gender distributions across academic disciplines. www.altmetric.com. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170202065408/https://www.altmetric.com/details/3069331#score. 2017-02-02.
  38. Web site: Preceptorships. Princeton University. 6 June 2014. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20140901110016/http://www.princeton.edu/dof/faculty/preceptorships/. 1 September 2014.
  39. Web site: Mrs. Giles Whiting Foundation. https://web.archive.org/web/20140726173019/http://www.whitingfoundation.org/search/fellows/sarah-jane_leslie. dead. 26 July 2014. Mrs. Giles Whiting Foundation. 6 June 2014.
  40. Web site: Sarah-Jane Leslie CV. Princeton University. 1 July 2014. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20140821054109/http://www.princeton.edu/~sjleslie/WebCV.pdf. 21 August 2014.
  41. Web site: NSF Award Search: Award #1226942 – The Development of Social Essentialism. National Science Foundation. 6 June 2014. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20140812183120/https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1226942. 12 August 2014.
  42. Web site: NSF Award Search: Award#1530669 - SBP: The Roots of Female Underrepresentation in STEM and Beyond: Exploring the Development of Gender Stereotypes about Intelligence. nsf.gov. 12 January 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170113134008/https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1530669&HistoricalAwards=false. 13 January 2017.
  43. Web site: Sarah-Jane Leslie and colleagues win $1.59M from the NIH. - Department of Philosophy. princeton.edu. 12 January 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170113144014/https://philosophy.princeton.edu/content/sarah-jane-leslie-and-colleagues-win-159m-nih. 13 January 2017.
  44. Web site: Edge.org. 12 January 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170113125649/https://www.edge.org/response-detail/26654. 13 January 2017.
  45. Web site: Reed College - Greenberg Distinguished Scholar Program. Reed. College. reed.edu. 12 January 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170113164455/http://www.reed.edu/greenbergscholar/leslie.html. 13 January 2017.
  46. Web site: Society for Philosophy and Psychology (SPP). socphilpsych.org. 12 January 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20161205035208/http://socphilpsych.org/prizes.html. 5 December 2016.
  47. Web site: A Day of Revolutionary Thinking - Rutgers 250. rutgers.edu. 12 January 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170113154557/http://250.rutgers.edu/day-revolutionary-thinking. 13 January 2017.
  48. Web site: Alan Leslie. psych.rutgers.edu. 2015-08-23. Donna. Tomaselli. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20150907104007/http://psych.rutgers.edu/faculty-profiles-a-contacts/124-alan-leslie. 2015-09-07.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Sarah-Jane Leslie".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.