ISPPNews vol. 34.8

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. 

• Early career researchers conducting research on political psychology,
• Established faculty keen on exploring topics and methods in political psychology,
• Professionals in industry, journalism, the public sector and non-governmental organizations actively involved in addressing pertinent issues in political psychology.

• 1. Complete the application form in this link
• 2. Send a short CV to theacademy@ispp.org after submitting your application.

• Decisions on applications will be communicated to applicants by mid-March 2025.

Assistant Professor in Social Psychology – London School of Economics and Political Science

Assistant Professor in Behavioural Science – London School of Economics and Political Science

The Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science is a growing community of researchers, intellectuals, and students who investigate the human mind and behaviour in a societal context. Our department conducts cutting-edge psychological and behavioural research that is both based in and applied to the real world. We are looking for an outstanding researcher and inspirational teacher at executive and graduate level who will be a core part of the team of the Executive MSc (EMSc) in Behavioural Science that positions our Department as a leading global player in the field.

Candidates should have expertise and research interests in behavioural science, a track record or trajectory of publishing internationally excellent publications, and the ability to teach behavioural science and quantitative and experimental research methods at executive and postgraduate level.

The other criteria that will be used when shortlisting for this post can be found on the person specification, which is attached to this vacancy on the LSE’s online recruitment system.

In addition to a competitive salary the benefits that come with this job include an occupational pension scheme, a research grants policy with personal reward options, generous research leave (sabbatical) entitlement, a collegial faculty environment and excellent support, training and development opportunities.

For further information about the post, please see the how to apply document, job description and the person specification.

To apply for this post, please go to www.jobs.lse.ac.uk. If you have any technical queries with applying on the online system, please use the “contact us” links at the bottom of the LSE Jobs page. Should you have any queries about the role, please email Professor Liam l.d.delaney@lse.ac.uk.

Application deadline: 9 February 2025 | More information

The Research and Project Officer post is based in the LSE Eden Centre for Education Enhancement. The LSE Eden Centre brings together educational, digital, and developmental expertise at the School to support the development of academic staff, enable curriculum enrichment and digital innovation. The successful applicant will work with academic and professional services colleagues across the School and in partnership with students to ensure research-rich inclusive education in line with the priorities of the LSE Strategy and ‘Educate for Global Impact’ (EGI).  

The Research and Project Officer (RPO) for Inclusive Education will contribute to the development of inclusive education initiatives, project management, and research and evaluation activities within the Eden Centre's Inclusive Education team. The role combines knowledge of inclusive education in higher education with qualitative and quantitative research skills and project management expertise. Working closely with the Head of Inclusive Education, the RPO will contribute to bidding processes, research and evaluation activities, and project management in the field of inclusive education. The role requires collaboration with academic departments and relevant professional service units as well as external partners to pursue opportunities aligned with the School's values and strategy. The RPO will also demonstrate specialist expertise in research, writing, and analytical skills.

The Research and Project Officer will need to have:

• Master's degree or equivalent in a relevant social science discipline.
• Advanced knowledge of race and marginalized experiences in higher education.
• Experience in conducting research on topics related to inclusive education.
• Strong project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

Please see the job description and person specification for the full requirements for the post.

To apply for this post, please go to www.jobs.lse.ac.uk. If you have any technical queries with applying on the online system, please use the “contact us” links at the bottom of the LSE Jobs page. Should you have any queries about the role, please email Akile Ahmet on a.ahmet@lse.ac.uk.

• The role of social norms in promoting or hindering social cohesion
• Mechanisms of polarization and depolarization in different social settings
• Comparative studies on social norms and cohesion across cultures and communities
• Interventions and strategies to foster social cohesion and reduce polarization
• Theoretical and empirical contributions to understanding inclusivity norms

• Analysis of the effectiveness of applied peace education programs/strategies in educational settings;
• Empirical studies on the strategies educators use in conflict or post-conflict settings to teach about difficult past;
• Investigating the effectiveness of innovative educational programs that promote reconciliation through fostering intergroup contact, moral exemplars, and similar, particularly in divided societies;
• Evaluations of the long-term impacts of the existing peace education programs;
• Case studies of educational programs that foster peace, reconciliation, and dialogue from developing, non-Western countries;
• Decolonial approaches to peace education in conflict and post-conflict environments.

Call for Papers – Special Issue in BJSP: Contact seeking, contact avoidance and the enduring challenge of segregation

Although extensive research within the intergroup contact theory framework has demonstrated the beneficial impact of positive contact on attitudes (Pettigrew & Tropp, 2011), it has also revealed that positive contact may occur less frequently than psychologists have presumed, even under favourable conditions (the ‘leading the horse to water’ problem, see Pettigrew & Tropp, 2011). In fact, contact avoidance and re-segregation are common outcomes (Bettencourt et al., 2019; Kauff et al., 2020; Paolini et al., 2021, 2024).

This Special Issue aims to advance our understanding of how, when and why individuals engage in contact-seeking or contact-avoidance. That is, instead of treating contact as a predictor of change in social dynamics, we treat it as the outcome of psychological, relational, and contextual processes that remain under-specified but are of considerable theoretical and applied significance.

The Special Issue welcomes both empirical and theoretical submissions that:

1. Explore the cultural, relational, political, environmental, and psychological factors that shape individuals’ willingness (or capacity) to seek out or avoid intergroup contact across varying levels of analysis;
2. Systematically map the routine nature or frequency of everyday patterns of contact and segregation or identify contexts of rupture where individuals are suddenly brought into new relations of proximity, intimacy and interaction;
3. Produce novel data on the nature of contact-seeking and avoidance across varying levels of analysis or social and cultural contexts, thereby generating new empirical insights;
4. Investigate people’s perceptions of actual or desired levels of segregation, contact-seeking, and contact-avoidance in society;
5. Apply, refine or extend new methods for exploring contact-seeking and avoidance over time;
6. Elaborate theoretical explanations for contact seeking and avoidance;
7. Evaluate the success of interventions designed to address related problems, e.g., the ‘resegregation’ of educational, employment, residential or social spaces;
8. Develop interdisciplinary approaches by integrating social psychological work with work rooted in companion disciplines such as environmental and political psychology, sociology, political science, demography, or geography.

Given that most work on contact and segregation has been conducted in Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) contexts, we especially welcome research conducted in other cultural settings (e.g., the global South) or that recovers the voices or practices of underrepresented communities. We also welcome research using a wide variety of methodological and analytic approaches, qualitative and quantitative, including research employing methods developed in other disciplines, providing they directly address the Special Issue’s core themes. We would also, of course, require all submissions to conform to BJSP guidelines in terms of research ethics and Open Science.

Authors who wish to participate are encouraged to send in a concise article abstract (not exceeding 500 words) by March 31, 2025 so that the Guest Editors can advise whether the work would fit with the scope of the special issue. The abstract should be emailed to the journal editorial assistant bjso@wiley.com with the subject “Contact seeking, contact avoidance and the enduring challenge of segregation”. If authors are not able to send an abstract by that deadline, they are still welcome to submit a full manuscript by September 30, 2025.

The study of morality in psychology has become a global focus for researchers for over two decades. Progress in understanding morality has been instrumental in comprehending variations in people's moral reasoning, judgments, and behavior. In an EASP-sponsored meeting, we will gather researchers to discuss (1) current trends, (2) neglected issues, and (3) future directions for the psychology of morality.

We're thrilled to announce that due to EASP’s generous sponsorship, there will be no registration fee for the conference, and all expenses, except for travel, will be covered. We will cover participants’ accommodation costs for three nights, breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and related social activities. This includes an optional group visit to the Museum of the Second World War in Gdansk and a weather-dependent boat trip from Sopot to Gdynia to view the sunset. Participation is open to all researchers worldwide, but priority will be given to submissions from EASP members. We aim to have at least 1/4 of the participants as EASP postgraduate members. We especially encourage scholars from disadvantaged backgrounds to apply.

The meeting will take place at the Sopotorium Medical Resort in Sopot, a picturesque seaside city on the Baltic Sea. It is conveniently located near the Gdansk airport, which connects several major European cities. The meeting will take place from September 8th to 11th, 2025, with the opening keynote lecture by Professor Naomi Ellemers from Utrecht University. The first two days will focus on presentations, while the last half-day will be devoted to discussing the field's future. 

We welcome submissions for oral presentations (only, no posters) from researchers at all levels (postgraduate, early career, senior) in psychology and related fields focusing on any aspect of morality, justice, or moral psychology broadly conceived. Each presentation will be approx. 15 minutes plus 5 minutes of discussion. 

The Organizing Committee

Konrad Bocian, SWPS University
Paul Conway, University of Southampton
Stefano Pagliaro, University of Chieti-Pescara
Alexa Weiss, Bielefeld University
Bogdan Wojciszke, SWPS University

Submission deadline: 28 February 2025 | More information

Call for Papers – Topical issue in Current Opinion in Psychology: Willful Ignorance: Cognitive, Social, and Political Dimensions

The construct of willful ignorance—actively choosing to avoid, disregard, or remain uninformed about information—pervades personal, social, and political spheres, shaping decisions with profound implications for individuals and societies. This topical issue addresses willful ignorance from a multi-faceted perspective, examining how cognitive and affective processes, social dynamics, and motivations intersect in its formation and impact. The aim is to advance our understanding of why individuals or groups might avoid (inconvenient) information, or rationalize ignorance despite potential consequences, both immediate and long-term.

Interest in the phenomenon of willful ignorance has surged as researchers from psychology, sociology, political science, and behavioral economics recognize its critical role in areas as diverse as public health, environmental policy, and intergroup relations. Key questions include: What cognitive biases or motivational drivers support or sustain willful ignorance? How do social influences, such as group dynamics or societal pressures, reinforce or discourage this behavior? What are the political implications of willful ignorance, and how might policies or institutional structures perpetuate or challenge it?

In this issue, we invite submissions from multiple perspectives to enrich a holistic view of willful ignorance, allowing us to dissect its underlying mechanisms and explore potential interventions.

Topics covered may include, but are not limited to:

• The motivations not to know:
  • Self-protectiveness
  • Self-image concerns
  • Liability and responsibility avoidance
  • Social image concerns
  • Maximization of material benefits
• The consequences of not knowing:
  • Reduced altruistic behavior
  • Increased risk to self and others
  • Perpetuation of bias
  • (political) Polarization

How to Submit

Papers in Current Opinion in Psychology are meant to provide ‘the views of experts on current advances in psychology in a clear and readable form as well as evaluations of the most interesting papers, annotated by experts, from the great wealth of original publications.’

For our issue, we have set up a two-stage submission process. Initially, interested authors are requested to submit extended abstracts of their proposed papers. Authors of the selected abstracts will then be invited to submit full papers.

Stage 1: Structured Abstract Submission
Authors interested in this topical issue must submit a structured abstract of the planned manuscript before submitting a full paper. The goal is to provide authors with prompt feedback regarding the suitability and relevance of the planned manuscript to the topical issue.

The deadline for submitting structured abstracts is February 1st, 2025.

Feedback on whether or not the editors encourage authors to submit a full paper will be given by February 15th, 2025. Structured abstracts should be within 1-2 pages and be submitted by email to the guest editor Susann Fiedler (susann.fiedler@wu.ac.at).

Stage 2: Full Paper Submission
For those who have been encouraged to submit a full paper, the deadline for submission of manuscripts is June 1st, 2025. Full papers will have a 2000 word limit (excluding abstract, references and figure captions) with approximately 50 references.

Shaul Shalvi, Anna Baumert, Fiona tho Pesch & Susann Fiedler

Submission deadline: 1 February 2025

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