Mary C. Murphy

Professor of Psychology and Brain Sciences

Mary C. Murphy is the Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Indiana University, the founding director of the Summer Institute on Diversity at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, and the founder and CEO of the Equity Accelerator. Murphy conducts pioneering research on motivation, performance, and intergroup relations. Among many other awards, she received the 2019 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. She earned her BA from the University of Texas at Austin and her PhD in social psychology from Stanford University in 2007, where she was mentored by Claude Steele and Carol Dweck.

Mary Murphy (Credit: Christine Baker)

An image of a pelican with its feet in the water, capturing the essence of Stanford Duck Syndrome.

Neuropsych

Stanford duck syndrome: How the myth of effortless genius hurts learning

When we view hard work as a sign of low aptitude, it harms our ability to learn and grow.