Nalini Ambady

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Nalini Ambady 2009

Nalini Ambady (March 20, 1959 – October 28, 2013) was an influential Indian-American social psychologist renowned for her research in the field of non-verbal behavior and social perception. Ambady's pioneering work on thin slicing, a concept that involves making quick inferences about people's personalities, emotions, and abilities based on very brief observations, has significantly impacted the understanding of social cognition and interpersonal communication.

Early Life and Education

Nalini Ambady was born in Calcutta (now Kolkata), India. She pursued her undergraduate studies at Lady Shri Ram College for Women in New Delhi, where she majored in psychology. Ambady moved to the United States for her graduate studies, earning a master's degree and a Ph.D. in social psychology from Harvard University. Her doctoral dissertation, which focused on non-verbal behavior and its influence on social judgment, laid the groundwork for her future research.

Career

After completing her Ph.D., Ambady served on the faculties of several prestigious institutions, including the College of the Holy Cross, Tufts University, and Stanford University. At Stanford, she was a professor of psychology and, later, the Neubauer Family Faculty Fellow at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Ambady's research was characterized by its innovative approach to studying the subtle nuances of social interactions. She was particularly interested in how people form impressions of others with limited information and how these impressions can influence social outcomes. Her work extended to the study of stereotypes, prejudice, and the dynamics of group interactions.

One of Ambady's most cited studies, conducted with Robert Rosenthal in 1992, demonstrated the power of thin slicing by showing that students could accurately predict a teacher's evaluations based on just a few seconds of silent video footage. This study highlighted the importance of non-verbal cues in social perception and has implications for areas ranging from education to law enforcement and clinical psychology.

Legacy

Nalini Ambady's contributions to psychology have been widely recognized and celebrated. She received numerous awards for her research, including the American Psychological Association's Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution to Psychology. Ambady's work continues to influence a broad range of disciplines, including psychology, business, education, and healthcare.

Tragically, Ambady passed away on October 28, 2013, after a battle with leukemia. Her legacy lives on through the Ambady Lab at Stanford University, which continues to explore the themes of social perception, cognition, and communication that she was passionate about.

Selected Publications

Ambady's prolific career resulted in numerous influential publications. Some of her most notable works include:

• Ambady, N., & Rosenthal, R. (1992). Thin slices of expressive behavior as predictors of interpersonal consequences: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 111(2), 256-274.
• Ambady, N. (1993). Public and private faces of self-monitoring: Underestimating the link between inner states and outer behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65(3), 479-491.
• Ambady, N., & Gray, H. M. (2002). On being sad and mistaken: Mood effects on the accuracy of thin-slice judgments. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83(4), 947-961.

See Also

• Social psychology
• Non-verbal communication
• Stereotypes
• Prejudice