VEST Education and Research Speaker Series: Myles Durkee

The Psychological Implications of Racial Code-Switching

Racial code-switching (i.e., adjusting one’s speech, appearance, and behavior to mirror specific racial groups) places a major burden on ethnic minority groups who must actively manage their identities in academic and professional settings to avoid facing additional bias. This presentation includes experimental and correlational studies examining the psychological implications of racial code-switching among Black students and adults. These studies will examine how racial code-switching influences professional evaluations, interview performance, and emotional responses over time.

Speaker Bio

Dr. Myles Durkee is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Michigan. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Pomona College and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology: Applied Developmental Science from the University of Virginia. He also completed postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Chicago and the University of Michigan. Dr. Durkee is a psychologist who examines the dynamics of cultural invalidations, racial discrimination, and racial code-switching to understand how these experiences influence important psychosocial outcomes (such as mental health & identity development). Broadly, his research examines how people of color navigate racial contexts, modify their racial behavior to fit into certain environments, and internalize messages about their cultural identity from individuals inside and outside of their racial group.