Vanessa Hettinger

Dr. Vanessa
Hettinger

(They/She)
Associate Professor, HBJD Dept Chair
Psychology | Gender Studies
Email:
Office: Swenson Hall 3113

Research Interests

Vanessa studies people’s attitudes and beliefs about sexual orientation and gender. Coming from a social cognitive approach, key themes in her research include the negative effects of ‘positive’ stereotypes, the consequences of the association of masculinity with professional status, and the role of essentialism in maintaining prejudice and discrimination.

Publications

  • Groene, S. L., & Hettinger, V. E. (2015). Are you ”fan” enough? The role of identity in media fandoms. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 5, 324. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000080
  • Hettinger, V. E., & Vandello, J. A. (2014). Balance without equality: Just world beliefs, the gay affluence myth, and support for gay rights. Social Justice Research27, 444-463. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11211-014-0226-2
  • Hettinger, V. E., Hutchinson, D. M., & Bosson, J. K. (2014). Influence of professional status on perceptions of romantic relationship dynamics. Psychology of Men and Masculinity, 15, 470-480. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0034034 
  • Vandello, J. A., Hettinger, V. E., Bosson, J. K., & Siddiqi, J. (2013). When equal isn’t really equal: The masculine dilemma of seeking work flexibility. Journal of Social Issues69, 303-321. https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12016

Awards

  • 2017 – Fellowship to Attend 2018 Summer Institute for Academic Feminist Psychologists
  • 2016 – Faculty Development Grant, University of Wisconsin-Superior
  • 2016 – SPSP 2017 Teacher/Scholar Travel Award
  • 2015 – High Impact Practices Integration Mini-Grant, University of Wisconsin-Superior

Education

  • 2014 – Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) – Cognition, Neuroscience, and Social Psychology, University of South Florida
  • 2008 – Juris Doctorate (J.D.) – Harvard Law School
  • 2004 – Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) – Psychology / English, Amherst College