Dr. Mercedes A. Muñoz
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Profile
Dr. Mercedes Muñoz is a cultural, social, and developmental psychologist whose research focuses on the central question: How do we perceive ourselves and how do these perceptions drive our social behaviors? Muñoz explores how people’s cultural and racial identities affect their social judgments, group dynamics, norms, voting behavior, and identity development. She studies identities cross-sectionally across the lifespan, from childhood through adulthood to examine how our perceptions of ourselves can change across our lives. Researchers working with her in the Race and Culture Lab can expect to think deeply about topics related to race and ethnicity, phenotype (e.g., skin-tone), identity related effects of immigration, cultural cognition, and how these constructs influence our psychological perceptions of ourselves and our groups.
Muñoz received her Ph.D. and M.A. in psychology & neuroscience with a focus in social psychology from Duke University. She also holds a B.A. with honors from Boston University.
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Grants and Fellowships
TESS Young Investigators Competition Research Grant (2023) National Science Foundation, Graduate Research Fellowship (2022)
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Awards
Dean's Award for Inclusive Excellence, Duke University (2023)
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Presentations
Muñoz, M. A., Salvador, C. E. & Gaither, S. E. (2025 May). The Role of Skin-Tone in Race and Ethnicity Self-Identification in Latine Children. Talk presented to the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Biennial Meeting. Minneapolis, MN. (Symposium title: Exploring Latine and Indigenous Latine Identity: How Environmental Factors Influence Racial-Ethnic Identity).
Muñoz, M. A., Orvell, A. & Salvador, C. E. (2024 October). The Role of Interdependence in Perceived Strength of Norms and Norm Adherence in Latine Americans. Talk presented at the National Latinx Psychological Association (NLPA) Conference, San Juan, PR. (Symposium title: Expressions of Interdependence in Latine people: Perspectives from Social, Developmental, and Cultural Psychology).
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Memberships
Society for Personality and Social Psychology Society for Research in Child Development Cognitive Development Society National Latinx Psychological Association
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Certifications
Certificate in College Teaching, Duke University
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Grants and Fellowships
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Publications
Journal Articles
* indicates co-first authorship
Muñoz, M. A., Orvell, A., & Salvador, C. E. (2026). One Country, One People? Racial Ethnic Minorities in the United States Perceive Their Community Norms Stronger Than European Americans. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672251408108
Muñoz, M. A., Jenkins, S. H., Carbajal, I., & Gaither, S. E. (2026). Intersecting Identities and Ideologies: Sociodemographic Predictors of 2024 Voting Among Mexican and Cuban Americans. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 26, e70046. https://doi.org/10.1111/asap.70046
Muñoz, M. A. & Gaither, S. E. (2025). Considering Multiplicity in Racial Ethnic Socialization. Annual Review, Developmental Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-devpsych-111323-115125
*Muñoz, M. A., *E. A., Enright., Gaither, S. E., Halim, M. D., Pauker, K. Olson, K. R. & Dunham, Y. (2025). Children’s Use of Race in their Social Judgements: A Large, Multi-site, Multi-racial Group Comparison. Collabra Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1525/collabra.132489.
Albuja, A. F., Muñoz, M. A., Kinzler, K., Woodward, A., & Gaither, S. E. (2023). Hypodescent or Ingroup Overexclusion?: Children's and Adults’ Racial Categorization of Ambiguous Black/White Biracial Faces. Developmental Science, e13450. https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.13450.
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