Laasya Gadiyaram

Contact Information

Hello, my name is Laasya Gadiyaram.

I am a Year 3 in the Princeton High School Research Program. I conducted a political science survey-based project that looked at the influence of microaggressions on perceived electability on different demographic groups. I hypothesized that if a candidate is described with microaggressive language, then the candidate would be perceived as less electable because of microaggression’s subtle influence on the decision-making process. This research can provide insight to political trends that could extend into the future of American elections. It can also create a discussion surrounding microaggressions and encourage future generations to make an active effort to dispel them.

Current Research Project

My hypothesis was tested through a nationwide survey that gauged the extent to which microaggressions impacted voting behavior. Three groups of participants were asked to fill out one of three surveys containing descriptions of candidates. The surveys of each group varied on gender pronouns present in each survey: he/him/his pronouns, she/her/hers pronouns, and they/them/theirs pronouns. Each survey contained one section with descriptions of actions carried out by the candidate that would be considered compassionate, and one section with descriptions of actions carried out by the candidate that would be considered aggressive.

The results of my research show that compassionate female candidates are seen as equally electable compared to compassionate male candidates, while aggressive female candidates are seen as less electable compared to aggressive male candidates, a finding supported by the aforementioned Role Congruence Theory.

Previous Research

Research Publication
(2020 – 2021)
Wrote a paper on my findings, conducted statistical analysis, and understood how my research works in context with the broader political world.