
Hello, my name is Colin Zestcott.
I am currently Assistant Professor of Psychology and principal investigator of the Social Cognition Lab at The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN. I’m originally from Minneapolis, MN and received a B.A. in Psychology from Macalester College and a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of Arizona.
research
The Social Cognition Lab at St. Scholastica examines person perception and health from a variety of angles. Our research studies the presence, consequences, and reduction of bias in the healthcare domain. Our work also applies a specific focus on the stigmatization of tattooed individuals. Additional lines of research unpack motivational factors that affect sport performance, the role of metaphor in social cognition, and the implications of sauna use on psychological well-being.
PUBLICATIONS
Wolsiefer, K. J., Mehl, M., Moskowitz, G. B., Cagno, C., Zestcott, C. A., Tejeda-Padron, A., & Stone, J. (in press). Investigating the relationship between resident physician implicit bias and language use during a clinical encounter with Hispanic patients. Health Communication.
Zestcott, C. A., Spece, L., McDermott, D., & Stone, J. (2021). Health care providers’ negative implicit attitudes and stereotypes of American Indians. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 8, 230-236.
Zestcott, C. A., & Stone, J. (2020). The role of persuasion in health-related attitude and behavior change. In K. Sweeny, M. L. Robbins, & L. M. Cohen (Eds.) The Wiley encyclopedia of health psychology (Vol. II): The social bases of health behavior (pp. 747-754). John Wiley & Sons.
Zestcott, C. A., Dickens, J., Bracamonte, N., Stone, J., & Harrison, C. K. (2020). One and done: Examining the relationship between years of college basketball experience and career statistics in the national basketball association. Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 44, 299-315.
Stone, J., Moskowitz, G. B., Zestcott, C. A., & Wolsiefer, K. J. (2020). Testing active learning workshops for reducing implicit bias among majority and minority group medical students. Stigma and Health, 5, 94-103.
Zestcott, C. A., & Stone, J. (2019). Experimental evidence that a patient’s tattoo increases their assigned health care cost liability. Stigma and Health, 4, 442-449.
Liang, J., Wolsiefer, K. L., Zestcott, C. A., Chase, D., & Stone, J. (2019). Implicit bias toward cervical cancer: Provider and training differences. Gynecologic Oncology, 153, 80-86.
Zestcott, C. A., Tompkins, T. L., Kozak Williams, M., Livesay, K., & Chan, K. L. (2018). What do you think about ink?: An examination of implicit and explicit attitudes toward tattooed individuals. The Journal of Social Psychology, 158, 7-22.
Zestcott, C. A., Stone, J., & Landau, M. J. (2017). The role of conscious attention in how weight serves as an embodiment of importance. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 43, 1712-1723.
Lifshin, U., Greenberg, J., Zestcott, C. A., & Sullivan, D. (2017). The evil animal: A terror management theory perspective on the human tendency to kill animals. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 43, 743-757.
Zestcott, C. A., Bean, M. G., & Stone, J. (2017). Evidence of negative implicit attitudes toward individuals with a tattoo near the face. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 20, 186-201.
Zestcott, C. A., Blair, I. V., & Stone, J. (2016). Examining the presence, consequences, and reduction of implicit bias in health care: A narrative review. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 19, 528-542.
Zestcott*, C. A., Lifshin*, U., Helm, P., & Greenberg, J. (2016). He dies, he scores: Evidence that reminders of death motivate improved performance in basketball. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 38, 470-480. [*indicates co-first authorship]
Zestcott, C. A., & Brown, K. T. (2015). From the crowd to the competition: White athletes’ response to racism directed at a teammate of color. Current Psychology, 34, 634-643.

For reprints please visit my Research Gate or Google Scholar pages.
teaching
PSY 1105: General Psychology
This course offers an overview of the major concepts, methods, and real life applications of psychology.
PSY 3327: Social Psychology
This course examines issues such as persuasion, aggression, prejudice, prosocial behavior, attraction, and the function of personality and situational influences in our daily lives.
PSY 3330: Research Methods
This course focuses on the process of theory development, research design, ethics, and scientific communication.

Social Cognition lab
Meet the lab!

Kalley Tietje
I am currently an undergraduate student at the College of Saint Scholastica. I am a Psychology major with a peace and justice studies minor. What interests me about psychology is being able to understand human behavior and emotions more and help other work to become the best version of themselves they can be. In my free time, I am an officer of the Art Club on campus and I enjoy hanging out with my friends, being around animals, meeting new people, and trying new things.

Jackson Faris
I’m a junior psychology student at CSS. Psychology has always been of great interest to me, as I think the human mind is one of the most complex and interesting products of nature. I believe the pursuit of better understanding how our mental processes operate is a noble one, as this understanding can help individuals to live better lives. In my free time I enjoy reading, playing chess, and getting outside as often as I can.

Liz Moyer
I have always been very intrigued by the inner workings of our brains, and why humans act and behave the way they do. Specifically, I am very interested in social psychology and the theories it applies to human behavior. Research in social psychology has widened my view of the world and the people around me and has helped me understand myself and my own behaviors as well. For fun, I love to push myself in the weight room and lift things that are heavier than myself, as well as read through research articles and publications related to psychology to continue growing my knowledge!

A little more about Colin.
I enjoy spending time with family, exploring the North Shore, Crossfit, coffee, tattoos, reading, and the Minnesota Vikings.




Contact Colin.
Department of Psychology & Sociology
The College of St. Scholastica
1200 Kenwood Ave.
Duluth, MN 55811
Phone: (218) 723-6348
Email: czestcott[at]css.edu