I hope that each of you are well, along with your loved ones, students, and colleagues. The year that has just ended has undoubtedly been marked by significant events that have affected the lives of many people around the world, starting with the loss of so many people’s lives because of the pandemic and its negative consequences on our mental health, the economy, and society as a whole. This complex situation has forced many countries to generate, with varying degrees of success, a set of public policies aimed at the recovery of the population in multiple areas. Undoubtedly, academic life has not been exempted from difficulties due to the pandemic, which has affected our students and academic teams in many different domains.
On the other hand, various global events have challenged us as a scientific society. We have been in communication with colleagues affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and they share with us all the negative consequences that it has caused, primarily among the Ukrainian people and Eastern and central European citizens. We are very concerned about the extremely difficult circumstances that women face in Iran and the risks that many female colleagues working in Iranian universities may experience. We are also very concerned about the political instability arising from political crises in Central and Latin America and how this situation impacts people's lives, including our colleagues working in academic and related sectors. We are keen to hear from our colleagues from Ukraine, Iran, Central and Latin America countries, and others, on how the situation there has affected them. These crises make it imperative that we strengthen our efforts to support our political psychology colleagues who have been affected through our Scholars Under Threat (SUT) program. Please remember to donate to our SUT fund!
These negative situations around the world also remind us of the importance of producing scientific knowledge that allows us to understand the causes and consequences of such phenomena for democratic systems, and the political stability of countries. Our challenge is to be able to contribute to the academic reflection on these matters based on the evidence generated by the scientific research that we develop in different regions of the world in the field of political psychology.
I can also share with you that the chairs of the annual conference to be held in Quebec July 9-11, 2023, Canada, professors Amanda Friesen, Tania Gosselin, and Rosa Rodriguez, are working hard together with an excellent academic team in the evaluation of the papers, panels, posters, and blitz presentations that we received. As anticipated, we expect to have the results of the evaluation process by the end of January. The conference this year will focus on "Understanding how social change emerges, evolves, and manifests in modern societies: The role of social norms in shaping human behavior". At this conference, we will seek to address this and related phenomena by discussing cutting-edge interdisciplinary research aimed at understanding social change. We aim to stimulate debate on the development of conceptual models of social change that advance our understanding of the underlying mechanisms that regulate people's behavior, establish group membership, and define what is socially desirable.
In addition, I would like to share with you that we have already formed the academic teams that will evaluate the applications for the 10 awards that our society gives annually to distinguish and recognize the valuable contributions made by outstanding academics from our society and from other latitudes. Professors Gianvitorio Caprara and Jorge Manzi are leading this essential process. These awards will be presented at a special ceremony that will be held at our conference in Quebec.
Finally, I would like to thank all Governing Council members, the editorial team of our Journals, and the Central Office team for the extraordinary commitment and dedicated work they do in the multiple initiatives promoted by ISPP.
For those of you that celebrated this season, I hope you have had happy holidays, and I wish you all an excellent New Year.
Roberto González
ISPP President
Save the dates! ISPP's upcoming meetings
Our 2023 Annual Meeting is planned to be held 9-11 July 2023 in Montréal, Québec, Canada.
If you are interested in hosting a future conference of ISPP, please contact the Central Office to obtain the necessary guidelines and materials.
Call for the Twinning Program
Call for the Twinning Program in English [see below for the call in Arabic, French, Spanish and Turkish]
We are happy to announce that we are still accepting applications for our New Twinning Program among Scholars under Threat (ISPP members who lost their academic positions or their income in direct connection with political persecution and/or to members who have been displaced as a result of political persecution). The New Twinning Program has been set up with the aim of facilitating scholarly collaborations between threatened political psychologists and program partners. These collaborations can offer the opportunity for threatened scholars to continue their academic activities, maintain and advance their careers, and integrate into international political psychology; furthermore, partners can engage in political advocacy on behalf of threatened scholar. We are grateful to the 24 scholars who have already expressed their interest to work together with a scholar under threat as partners. We would kindly like to ask our members to reach out to those scholars within their networks around the world who may benefit from participating.
You can find more information about the Twinning Program here.
ISPP is committed to protecting its members whose academic freedom is at risk anywhere in the world due to the political context where they work or live. ISPP's Scholars Under Threat (SUT) Committee has been working to support ISPP's members at risk. Academic freedom as it relates to both research and teaching is absolutely essential for the advancement of scientific knowledge. The SUT can support academics by providing free membership to ISPP, access to emergency funds for scholars under threat to continue their livelihoods, and access to the ISPP twinning scheme for academics who wish to have mentorship or support from colleagues in less risky contexts. If you or someone you know has had their academic freedom put at risk and feel that you would benefit from ISPP support, please contact us.
The School of Education is seeking to appoint a Research Associate with a background in quantitative social sciences (psychology, human geography, sociology, education) and expertise in advanced statistical data analysis to work with Professor Shelley McKeown Jones (University of Bristol), Professor David Manley (University of Bristol) and Dr. Laura K. Taylor (University College Dublin), on an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded research project “Shared Spaces: The How, When, and Why of Adolescent Intergroup Interactions”.
The Shared Spaces project takes an interdisciplinary approach to examine the interplay between the individual and contextual factors that influence whether adolescents in Belfast and Bradford choose or not to engage in intergroup interactions with people from other ethno-religious groups.
Working together with project consultants from the National Children's Bureau and in collaboration with City Councils, this project will address gaps in the research literature and inform evidence-based social cohesion strategies
The post holder will be responsible for working with the project team in reviewing relevant research literature, collecting and analysing survey and GPS data, and working alongside project consultants and stakeholders to organise impact and dissemination activities, including preparing academic papers for publication and posting materials on the project website.
Applicants should have completed or be about to complete a Ph.D. in a social science discipline with a strong quantitative focus; have experience working with quantitative data, including the use of advanced statistical techniques; have proven skills in designing and distributing surveys; have experience in data management and working within ethical guidelines; have a developing record of publishing in academic journals; be able to work independently, as well as part of a team; and have excellent communication, organisational and interpersonal skills.
Lecturer in Psychology (Teaching and Research) – University of Dundee
Psychology, housed within the School of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Law, are seeking to appoint an exceptional lecturer at Grade 8 to build our capacity to deliver world-leading teaching and research. As part of our strategic growth initiative, we are looking to build on our existing areas of research excellence and support the expansion of our teaching programmes.
The candidate will participate in the design and delivery of Psychology modules, contributing to our successful undergraduate Psychology programme as well as our expanding taught postgraduate portfolio.
Your priorities will include:
Contribute to the research activities of Psychology, ideally in one of our key thematic areas
Support the full economic cost of research by generating research grant income (e.g., UKRI)
Supervise research students, and support applicants in their funding applications, if appropriate
Develop appropriate opportunities to engage in interdisciplinary research and knowledge exchange with other academic, industrial partners, and/or third sector partners
Contribute to the development and delivery of undergraduate modules in both theoretical and practical settings
Use innovative teaching methods to deliver high-quality and effective teaching at all levels to equip students with the skills, attributes, and experiences required for their future careers Who we’re looking for:
PhD in Psychology, or a relevant subject
An established research profile and the ability to produce research outputs of internationally excellent quality suitable for UK REF submission
Evidence of clear research objectives with the ability to attract external funding
Previous lecturing experience in Higher Education settings, including experience in the design, development, and delivery of content at various levels
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Application deadline: January 31st, 2023 | More informationPostdoctoral Fellowships for Black Scholars - Toronto Metropolitan University
Black scholars are among the most underrepresented in postdoctoral positions, tenured faculty positions, and in University leadership. Building on the recommendations of the Anti-Black Racism Campus Climate Review and reinforced by the PDF fileStanding Strong committee recommendations, and as part of a wider commitment to equity, in recognition of the barriers to equal opportunities for education and employment, TMU is implementing this program with the goals of building a more diverse and inclusive academe, and supporting the flourishing of Black scholarship. In particular, this program seeks to expand and advance Black scholarship and intellectual traditions, and support the academic endeavours of the Black community.
Funding will be available to provide $70,000 per year to support up to two years of postdoctoral salary for four (4) Black scholars.
Eligibility
Scholars who self-identify as Black (of African descent; for example, Africans and African heritage people from the Caribbean, Americas, Europe).
Completion of a PhD or PhD-equivalent within the last three years prior to the application deadline, or PhD expected by the planned start date of the fellowship.
Can hold the fellowship by September 5, 2023 for two years.
Successful applicants must be eligible to work in Canada by the start of the Postdoctoral position. International applicants may apply; however, successful international applicants will require a work permit and Canadian Social Insurance Number in order to take up the postdoctoral position. Exceptional start dates may be negotiated in relation to the permit and visa process timelines.
Be associated with a current or proposed supervisor who holds a tenured or tenure-track faculty position at TMU, and include a letter of support from the proposed supervisor.
This funding cannot be held concurrently with another major fellowship.
Applicants cannot hold a faculty position or be on leave from such a position.
Applicants must submit proof of completion of degree before the fellowship commences.
Application deadline: April 1st, 2023 | More informationApplications invited for a 3-year term as Editor of the EJSP
The Executive Committee of the European Association of Social Psychology is inviting applications for a three-year term as Editor of the European Journal of Social Psychology, beginning in January 2024.
Applicants must be members of EASP and ideally should have extensive experience in a role such as a journal Editor, Associate Editor, Program Chair, or related positions. They should be motivated and able to maintain the high standard of editorship and standing of the journal, and to promote the development of Social Psychology through the publication of high-quality, innovative research. As editors of EASP's flagship journal, they are expected to work in close cooperation with the Executive Committee. A dedicated team on the side of the publisher (Wiley) as well as the EASP Journals Officer support the editorial team. In addition, funding for meetings of the editorial team is available.
Joint applications from two individuals proposing to share the role are very welcome, especially to increase diversity in terms of gender, geographical region, research topic or approach, etc. Potential applicants wishing to discuss the role informally may contact the EASP Journals Officer Roland Imhoff (roland.imhoff@uni-mainz.de).
Applications should be sent via email to Roland Imhoff (roland.imhoff@uni-mainz.de) and include a curriculum vitae, a brief statement (1 page) outlining the candidate's vision for the future development of EJSP, and a list of some potential (non-confirmed) associate editors.
Call for ideas in special issue of Political Psychology: "Crowdsourcing the Next Generation of Ideas in Political Psychology."
In this special issue, we invert the usual "top-down" editor-driven approach to selecting articles, instead turning these decisions over to the community - that is, the social scientists that conduct political psychological research. In doing so, we test a more democratic approach to the academic publishing pipeline in which the best ideas win.
Research groups are invited to submit short (150-word) "mini-proposals" outlining their best new ideas. These mini-proposals will be evaluated through an open survey of the field. The top 20 rated proposals will be invited to submit a full registered-report style proposal, which will then undergo peer review and be published in Political Psychology following data collection.
Submissions can take ANY form - testing a novel hypothesis, replicating a classic finding, exploring a new interdisciplinary intersection, testing a new methodology, or tackling a longstanding debate. We also encourage submissions using either quantitative or qualitative methodologies (or a mix of both).
We hope to receive submissions from researchers around the globe. We particularly encourage proposals from researchers based in areas that have been historically underrepresented in political psychology - for example, the Global South.
To seek greater representation of historically minoritized voices in the field, the results of the open survey will be weighted to achieve equal representation on the dimensions of geography (e.g., global North versus South), gender, race/ethnicity, and career stage (early-, mid-, and late-career scholars).
Call for papers on Paradoxes of Diversity and Inclusion: From the Lab to the Social Field
Contemporary societies strive for multiculturalism and tolerance. To create conditions to reach this ideal there should be a continuum between what the social actors are prepared for in school, practices they encounter at the workplace, and the way they contribute to the wider society. This continuum should be materialized in consistent conceptualizations and practices of diversity and inclusion across educational, organizational and societal contexts. So far, research suggests that policies implemented in those settings have mixed results. This is partly because policies in different fields use distinct conceptual definitions of diversity and inclusion. Thus, important gaps exist between research and policy implementation and there is little dialogue between research in educational and organizational environments. In education, inclusive practices focus on students with special needs, broader definitions of diversity being neglected. In organizations, the emphasis is largely on diversity, inclusion being a more recent research topic and practice. Research conducted at societal level addresses the comprehensive ideologies underlying diversity and inclusion. To move forward, a dialogue that builds bridges between the various types (fundamental vs. applied) and fields of research (educational, organizational and societal) is crucial. Only then can this shared understanding be reached as well as the continuum of goals, concepts, and practices.
With a particular focus on research developed in the field of social sciences, either in lab or in real life conditions, this Research Topic should be thought of as a contribution to the dialogue between different research domains concerned with the topics of diversity and inclusion. More specifically, the aim is to gain clarity and continuity across fields in three intertwined aspects. The first one is conceptual: What do inclusion and diversity mean and what are the relations between them? Are the varying definitions of diversity and inclusion muddying the comparability of research findings? The second is empirical: What type of research is conducted relative to these two concepts and what new research is needed to advance this dialogue? The third one is more applied: Do diversity and inclusion policies aim at the same goals? Do current practices contribute to a more inclusive social climate or remain stuck in highlighting differences?
We encourage researchers to submit original brief reports, empirical studies, and policy or practice assessments that address one of the three aforementioned goals. We welcome submissions from any academic field with a preference for social science and psychological disciplines either quantitative or qualitative. We welcome here contributions from all over the world, to help shape the dialogue of diversity and inclusion between the Global North and Global South, and support theory development and policy implementation that is stemming from and is adapted to different local contexts. Particular attention should be devoted to the paradoxical relations between diversity and inclusion in a particular context.
Call for Submissions to a Special Issue of Social and Personality Psychology Compass: The Social and Personality Psychology of COVID-19
Since the start of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic in 2019, there has been a surge of data collections related to or affected by COVID-19. At Social and Personality Psychology Compass, we see this as a unique opportunity to harness the collective wisdom and data from the fields of Personality and Social Psychology for two purposes:
Better understanding human health and well-being.
Advancing Social and Personality psychological theory.
To do so, we have created a special issue dedicated to empirical data about or surrounding social/personality psychology and COVID-19. This special issue is meant to serve as a place for any and all empirically sound data on the issue. Empirical works need not represent sizable advances in knowledge to qualify for this issue (though, of course, they can). Instead, the bar to pass is that of empirical soundness: We aim to accept and publish up to 80 empirically sound articles related to COVID-19 from Social and Personality Psychology.
This special issue is designed to be a community effort to bring these data to light. As such, we are implementing three somewhat-unique requirements:
Focus on methods and results - While strong theoretical justification for studies is certainly welcomed, it is not essential. Indeed, we will review all types of publications, including those that are simply replications/extensions of known phenomena in the unique context of COVID-19. We welcome papers with very short introductions and discussions-asking that scholars place their research in the context of existing knowledge but dedicate the greatest effort toward thoroughly describing their methods and results.
Short articles - Related to the emphasis on methods and results, articles will be limited to the following word counts:
1 Study - 2500 Words
2 Studies - 3000 Words
3+ Studies - 3500 Words. If an author believes there is good justification for an increased word limit, they are encouraged to contact Jennifer Howell (howell@ucmerced.edu), though, consistent with the journal's policy, no article over 5000 words will be accepted. We encourage authors to make use of supporting (i.e., supplementary) materials and online repositories (e.g., OSF).
Community review - Because we envision each paper receiving two reviews, we will require that one representative from each team that submits a manuscript serve as a reviewer for at least two other manuscripts. That is, author teams will contribute as many reviews as they receive. All reviewers will be asked to focus primarily on the scientific soundness of the articles, rather than the theoretical justification or size of contribution, so, the burden is likely lighter than that of traditional review.
Call for Contributions to EASP medium sized meeting: Collective responses to global environmental challenges: How do collective cognition and motivation shape appraisals and responses?
EASP medium sized meeting from 25 June to 28 June 2023, Kloster Nimbschen (close to Leipzig, Germany)
Fighting the global environmental crisis is a major challenge for all humanity. The call for changes in everyday behavior and environmental policies grows louder every day. Psychological research has focused largely on individual decision-making processes as a central determinant of sustainable behavior. However, an individual alone can neither perceive nor solve global environmental crises, and psychology thus needs to address the collective dimension of environmental action. Correspondingly, in social and environmental psychology there is growing interest in the collective dimension of environmental action and sustainable transformation of societies (Bamberg et al., 2015; Ferguson & Schmitt, 2021; Fielding & Hornsey, 2016; Fritsche et al., 2018). This workshop will explore the ways in which collective processes facilitate sustainable behavior, but also possible pitfalls of group action that impede more sustainable conduct (e.g., collective action against renewable energy infrastructure). Collective processes include, but are not limited to social identity processes, such as in-group identification, collective efficacy and agency, in-group norms and goals, motivations and (group-based) emotions originating from group processes.
Invited keynotes will be given by Matthew Hornsey (University of Queensland), Lise Jans (University of Groningen), and, hopefully, Michael Schmitt (Simon-Fraser University, invited).
The meeting will include about 40 junior and senior researchers. They will present their original research in single session format. Junior researchers are invited to participate together with their supervisor. The meeting will take place from 25 June to 28 June 2023 at Kloster Nimbschen, a conference site close to Leipzig, Germany. Participants will have to pay a moderate participation fee including board and lodging at Kloster Nimbschen (discounts for junior researchers and researchers from less affluent countries). Researchers from all parts of the world who are interested in participating are asked to submit an abstract of 250 words maximum until 31 January 2023 to torsten.masson@uni-leipzig.de and karen.hamann@uni-leipzig.de. The abstract should include information about the research question, underlying theory, methods, results and discussion.
Call for Contributions to 18th European Congress of Psychology “Psychology: Uniting communities for a sustainable world”
Join us in Brighton,UK (3-6 July, 2023) to celebrate psychology and its power to unite communities for a more sustainable world.
While the world has been united in its battles against a global pandemic, we’ve also never been more divided. Issues of inequality driven by poverty, race, gender, climate crisis and many more have been catapulted to the fore, showing how volatile the world can be and raising questions of how society can come together and make change.
As individuals, we’re stronger together. When we are united, we have the power to influence and advocate for change. Psychology can be the driving force to unite and harness the power of community on a global scale. Using psychology, we can address the issues that have been magnified across the world. As one, we can build a fairer and more sustainable world.
We will bring together the leading experts in psychology from across Europe to discuss, debate and celebrate the impact of psychology on our communities and society, and we’d love to see you there.
Dr. Bernhard (Berni) Leidner passed away on November 19th 2022. He was one of us: A social psychologist who spent half of his 39 years of life conducting research on intergroup relations. Berni graduated from the Free University of Berlin in 2006 and in the same year he joined Emanuele Castano’s lab at the New School for Social Research, where in 2010 he received his Ph.D. He spent his entire academic career at UMass Amherst where, earlier this year, he was promoted to Full Professor. Among his various awards and recognitions, in 2013 he was named a rising star by the Association for Psychological Science, and in the following years he did indeed rise, carrying out important research on social identification processes, morality, and the role of collective trauma and narratives in the perpetuation of violent intergroup conflict. Berni was also a devoted mentor who cared deeply about his students. Aside from his scientific contributions, which remain with us, Berni leaves us a legacy of inspiration. Confined to a wheelchair for all his truly too-short life, and being able to move only his head and forearms, Berni had no patience for pity or pretense. He preferred for the rest of us to acknowledge that he had been bloody unlucky; he continuously joked about his situation; and appreciated when you did, too. He overcame obstacles that we can hardly imagine and, most importantly, he did so with wit and humor. He was a true friend with a big heart, his laugh was contagious, and this is how we want to remember him.
The next ISPPNews will be published in February 2023.
To submit your contributions for ISPPNews please send an email to the ISPP Central Office.
Benefits of your ISPP Membership
Online access to the journal of Political Psychology and Advances in Political Psychology; issues of ISPPNews; ISPP's Teacher's Corner; reduced registration fees at ISPP's Annual Scientific Meetings; discount on selected publications; access to ISPP's Members-only Portal; access to the online member directory; voting rights for ISPP leadership.
Your ideas for further improvements or additions to ISPPNews are welcome! Please let us know what you would like to see here in the future by sending us an email.
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