Alexa Samaniego

My name is Alexa, and I'm a PhD candidate in Micro Organizational Behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

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I study how people think about preparation and spontaneity in communication - and what those beliefs mean for how we judge each other.

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Imagine preparing for a job interview: you might practice your answers to express yourself fully, but your interviewer might wonder if you just memorized what they want to hear. My research examines why the same preparation can look different from opposite sides of the table, and how that shapes judgments of authenticity and competence.

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As a former theatre kid, I've spent plenty of time rehearsing to seem spontaneous. Now I get to study that tension offstage, too!

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Before joining Stanford, I received my BS in Business Psychology from UC San Diego and my MS in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from San Diego State. ​I'm currently an executive director of TEDxStanford, and I write and direct short horror films.