West Chester University professor Anita Foeman is one of the researchers studying the effect of unexpected results from DNA testing on a person’s core identity, writes Ruth Padawer for The New York Times.

The popularity of DNA tests has grown in recent years. By using online services, people can now find out things like their ancestry, biological relatives, and possible hereditary disorders.

With the increase in people using these services, scientists have started wondering how the results affect a person’s core identity.

In the last 12 years, Foeman has tested around 3,000 people. Before her subjects receive their genetic results, she asks them about how they perceive their racial and ethnic identities. She then follows up with those same questions after they receive the results.

Foeman and other researchers found that people tend to accept the results that fit in with their preconceptions, but usually dismiss results that challenge their core beliefs.

“So when you get information that challenges your identity, many people tune it out,” said Jay Van Bavel, a psychology professor at New York University.

Read more about West Chester University professor Anita Foeman’s research in The New York Times here.

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