Karen Blair
Associate Professor, Psychology, Psychology
director of the Trent Social Relations, Attitudes and Diversity Lab
Areas of Expertise:
Karen Blair is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Trent University and Director of the Social Relations, Attitudes and Diversity Lab. Her research examines relationships and social identities, with a focus on how social approval and support influence relationship well-being, as well as the role of affection, including public displays of affection.
Dr. Blair also studies LGBTQ+ psychology, including same-sex relationships, as well as stigma and prejudice, including femmephobia—the societal devaluation, denigration, and regulation of femininity.
In addition, she teaches a fourth-year course on the Social Psychology of the Holocaust and researches Holocaust education, ideologically motivated violence, and strategies for prejudice prevention and reduction.
Dr. Blair received Trent University’s Early Career Researcher Award in 2022 and has held leadership roles in professional associations, including serving as Chair of the Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity Issues (SOGII) Section of the Canadian Psychological Association for more than a decade.