Katherine Starzyk

• PSYC 2530 - Psychology of Personality
• PSYC 4540/7310 - Social Justice Research

Katherine Starzyk, PhD, is a Professor in Social and Personality Psychology at the University of Manitoba. She is also a Founding Member of the Centre for Human Rights Research as well as the Centre for Social Science Research and Policy. Katherine brings her identity as a Polish Canadian woman and the first person in her work-class family to attend university to her work.

• PhD (Social-Personality Psychology), Queen's University, 2004
• MA (Psychology), Queen's University, 2000
• BA Honours, with First Class Honours (Psychology), University of Alberta, 1998

Research interests

• Intergroup relations 
• Reconciliation
• Collective action
• Solidarity
• Psychometrics
• Attitude change
• Support for reparations
• Personality

Research summary

In her research, teaching, and service, Katherine focuses on understanding how to shift attitudes toward past and present human rights issues as well as how various frames of such issues or histories affect intergroup relations, focusing pr imarily (but not exclusively) on the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. In collaboration with students in the Social Justice Laboratory and others across disciplines and sectors, Katherine’s work is multidisciplinary and involves diverse methodologies, including interviews, focus groups, public polling, survey, correlational, and experimental methods as well as quantitative, qualitative, and archival analysis. Through this work, she aims to make both scholarly and applied contributions. Presently, alongside a dedicated team of Indigenous and non-Indigenous partners and co-investigators, Katherine is spending much of her time on the Canadian Reconciliation Barometer. 

Research affiliations/groups

• Research Affiliate, Centre for Social Science Research & Policy, University of Manitoba
• Founding Member, Centre for Human Rights Research, University of Manitoba

• Efimoff, I. H., & Starzyk, K. B. (2023). The impact of learning about historical and current injustices, individual racism, and systemic racism on anti-Indigenous racism. European Journal of Social Psychology, 1–21. 
• Woolford, A., Starzyk, K. B., Sinclair, S., Muller, A., & MacDonald, D. (2022). “I definitely felt like I was there”: Enacting empathy and negotiating a virtual reality Indian Residential School. AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples. (open access)
• Neufeld, K. H. S., Starzyk. K. B., Boese, G. D., Efimoff, I. H., & Wright, S. (2021). “The more you know”: Critical historical knowledge about Indian Residential Schools increases non-Indigenous Canadians’ empathy for Indigenous Peoples. Political Psychology.  [KS1] 
• Starzyk, K. B., Neufeld, K. H. S., Gaucher, D., Quesnel, M., Fontaine, A. S. M., Vorauer, J. D., & Yakubovich, A.(2021). “Is water a human right?”: Priming water as a human right increases support for government action. International Indigenous Policy Journal, 12(3), 1–28. 
• Starzyk, K. B., Fontaine, A. S. M., Strand, L. K., & Neufeld, K. H. S. (2021). "Attitudes toward reconciliation in Canada: Relationships with connectedness to nature, animal-human continuity, and moral expansiveness". Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science. Advance Online Publication.
• Neufeld, K. H. S., Starzyk, K. B., & Boese, G. D. B. D. (2020). "The effects of potential benefit on support for reparations for intergroup harm". Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology. Advance online publication.
• Neufeld, K. H. S., Funk, L. M., Starzyk, K. B., Gorea, M. I., & Dansereau, L. (2019). "Barriers to and strategies for engaging non-Indigenous Canadians in fulfilling First Nations water rights: A qualitative inquiry." The International Indigenous Policy Journal, 10(3), 1–24. (open access)
• Neufeld, K. H. S., Starzyk, K. B., & Gaucher, D. (2019). "Political solidarity: A theory and a measure." Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 7(2), 726–765. (open access)
• Starzyk, K. B., Neufeld, K. H. S., El-Gabalawy, R. M., & Boese, G. D. B. (2019). "The case for and causes of intraminority solidarity in support for reparations: Evidence from community and student samples in Canada." Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 7(2), 620-650. (open access)
• Neufeld, K. H. S., Gaucher, D., Starzyk, K. B., & Boese, G. D. B. (2019). "How feeling connected to one’s own community can increase support for addressing injustice impacting outgroup communities." Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, 22(4), 530-548.
• Boese, G. D. B., Neufeld, K. H. S., & Starzyk, K. B. (2017). "The validity of self-report measures in assessing historical knowledge: The case of Canada’s Residential Schools." International Indigenous Policy Journal, 8(3), 1–10. (open access)

• Starzyk, K. B. (2022, January 11). The Canadian Reconciliation Barometer [Café Scientifique panel discussant with co-participants L. Fontaine & R. Moran]. Moderators A. Fontaine & I. Effimoff. Host: D. Jayas. University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada. 
• Starzyk, K. B. (2021, March 25). The Canadian Reconciliation Barometer: Understanding, measuring progress toward, and creating interventions to promote reconciliation in Canada [Research Showcase Roundtable presenter with co-participants J. Uzonna, P. Maghoul, J. Mammei, J. Paliwal, & G. Stern]. Hosts: Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry of the Government of Canada; A. Farenhorst and D. Jayas, University of Manitoba. University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
• Starzyk, K. B., & Fontaine, A. S. M. (2017, October 20). Attitudes about reconciliation [All My Relations: Relating to Mother Earth workshop; teacher professional development]. Host: Council for Indigenous Education in Manitoba. Glenlawn Collegiate, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
• Starzyk, K. B., & Fontaine, A. S. M. (2017, June 29). Right to clean water: The most precious gift public engagement cluster findings [Webinar]. Host: First Nations Health and Social Services Secretariat of Manitoba Partners for Engagement and Knowledge Exchange (PEKE), Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs. Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
• Starzyk, K. B. (2017, March 4). Visionary conversations across the nation: Acknowledging the past, creating our future [Panel discussant with co-presenter R. Moran]. Host: D. Barnard, University of Manitoba. Victoria, BC, Canada.