The European Association of Social Psychology Summer School is designed to bring together graduate students from across Europe (and beyond) for 10 days of immersive learning, guided by experienced social psychologists from both Europe and beyond. It’s not only a chance for students to gain valuable insights and supervision but also a unique opportunity to connect with fellow graduate students from different countries, fostering cross-border collaborations and long-lasting professional networks.

Our Vision

The vision for EASP Summer School 2025 is “old meets new.” Set in the medieval city of Canterbury, under the towering presence of Canterbury Cathedral, this summer school takes place in a School of Psychology originally founded as a department dedicated to social psychology. While we honour this heritage, we also look forward, integrating classic theories and research in social psychology with innovative areas of inquiry to address the emerging challenges of today’s society. In the first week, students will attend seminars taught by international experts on their thematic workstream of choice, before spending the second week focusing on developing their own group research projects.

Location

Canterbury, England

Organiser

Jim A.C. Everett

Thematic Workstreams

The summer school will feature six specialized interactive workshops, each led by renowned experts in their respective fields. Each group will consist of 10-12 students, working closely with their mentors to collaboratively develop innovative research proposals at the forefront of social psychology.

1. Conspiracy Theories and Misinformation

Karen Douglas & Sinan Alper

Examine the appeal of conspiracy theories and misinformation, their consequences for individuals, groups, and societies, and discuss ways to counter their damaging impacts.

2. Moral Psychology and Artificial Intelligence

Jim A.C. Everett & Kathryn Francis

Focus on the moral psychology of AI, exploring human perceptions of AI’s moral roles, responsibilities, and ethical challenges in aligning AI with our values.

3. Social Identity, Extremism, Uncertainty, and Change

Dominic Abrams & Michael Hogg

Address shifting group boundaries, norms, and values using a social identity framework to understand challenges posed by populist leaders, extreme influencers, and misinformation.

4. Human-Animal Relations

Kristof Dhont, Emma Alleyne, & Chris Hopwood

Explore the social and moral psychology of human-animal relationships, examining perceptions of animals, speciesism, and attitudes toward animal cruelty and consumption.

5. Political Cognition

Nikhil Sengupta, Robbie Sutton, & Leor Zmigrod

Analyze how political ideologies, attitudes, and beliefs shape political conflict and polarization, with insights into bridging divides in diverse, multicultural societies.

6. Close Relationships

Viola Sallay & Tamás Martos

Investigate how space and environment influence close relationships and health, focusing on home dynamics, societal shifts, and adaptation to life challenges.

Methods, Meta-Science, and Mentorship Series

No matter which thematic workshop students choose, students will benefit from a dedicated series on “Methods, Meta-Science, and Mentorship,” coordinated by Professor Roger Giner-Sorolla, an influential voice in the Open Science community and a strong advocate for transparency and improved reporting in scientific research.

This series features a plenary session on Open Science taught by Professor Roger Giner-Sorolla, alongside a variety of parallel workshops on advanced research methods and data analysis techniques. Students can select from a range of topics, including:

1. Power analysis and simulation -Taught by Dr Daniel Toribio-Florez, PostDoc at the University of Kent. This session will review the basics of statistical power, offers recommendations for assessing it, and includes practical exercises in R to learn how to conduct power simulations.
2. Meta-analysis. Led by Dr Mikey Biddlestone, PostDoc at the University of Kent.
3. Bayes Analysis. Dr Simon Myers, a former PostDoc at the University of Kent, will focus on hypothesis testing and model comparison through default/reference Bayes Factors and the more recent Bayes Factor Functions.
4. Reproducibility and version control. Dr Scott Claessens, PostDoc at the University of Kent, will give students a crash course in reproducibility and version control in scientific research, using the targets R package and Git/GitHub.

In addition to these workshops, students will have the opportunity to participate in a Mentoring Session led by Dr. Jim Everett and Professor Aleksandra Cichocka, both Social Psychologists at the University of Kent and past recipients of the EASP Early Career Award. This session offers a supportive environment for students to discuss potential challenges of academia, receive advice on career-planning, and address any questions they may have.

Finally, a special “Editor Feedback” session, hosted by Dominic Abrams and Michael Hogg, Editors of Group Processes & Intergroup Relations (GPIR), will offer valuable insights into the publication process. They will be joined by other Past and Current Editors of leading journals in the field, including Roger Giner-Sorolla, past Editor of Journal of Experimental Social Psychology (JESP), to help students understand the editorial process and learn best practices for publishing their research.

Keynote Speakers

The summer school will feature distinguished Keynote Guest Lectures from leading experts in their fields. These lectures are designed to enrich the academic experience for all students, fostering connections and collaborative research ideas across our thematic areas.

Jay van Bavel – Inside the funhouse mirror factory: How social media distorts perceptions of norms

Harriet Over – How convincing are social psychological models of dehumanization?

Apply Now!

Ready to Apply? Check the Application Guidelines and email your application to easp2025@kent.ac.uk.