Storytellers of PLNU: Researching stereotypes and self-compassion with Alexandra Bitter

When I called her a storyteller at first, her facial expression shifted in disagreement.

“Psychology is such a unique field, it’s such a joy to be a part of. I wouldn’t have thought about it this way but it is absolutely storytelling,” Alexandra Bitter, professor of psychology at PLNU, said.  

Bitter, a PLNU alumna, is an experimental and social psychologist who got into the field because of her fascination with people and desire to help in some way. This transformed into returning to PLNU to teach in 2022. Through her courses, she interlaces the research she has done, focusing on motivation, bias and stereotyping. 

Her love for research stemmed from being enamored with its ability to explain everyday behavior and give names to the things we take for granted. Through her research, she has been able to apply motivational concepts to technology, self-compassion and jury decision making, focusing on minority groups.