SHARKLab is co-organiser of a new series of virtual research talks of the Society for the Psychology of Human-Animal Intergroup Relations (PHAIR Society).

The goal of the PHAIR Society is to advance and promote scientific research and education on a wide range of topics related to how people perceive and treat animals, the consumption of plant-based vs. animal-derived products, animal advocacy, and veganism. This research field sits at the center of several interrelated areas including moral and social psychology, diet and health, human-animal relationships, and sustainability and environmental psychology. Although research in this area is often inspired by moral concerns for animals, the PHAIR Society is a scientific society and not an advocacy group.

The short-term goal of the PHAIR Society is to establish an international network of researchers via regular virtual meetings featuring research talks by invited guests. Meetings will occur once per month beginning in January, leading up to the Animal Advocacy Conference: Insights from the Social Sciences hosted by the University of Kent (June 30 – July 2, 2021).

We are hoping that the PHAIR Society will help promote studies on human-animal intergroup relations and stimulate collaboration. We have invited some of the top researchers in this area to present their work and scholars from around the world with interests in this topic to attend, and have tried to schedule the talks at times that will enable people to view them around the world.

You can find the full schedule here.

Please contact Kristof Dhont (k.dhont@Kent.ac.uk), Chris Hopwood (chopwoodmsu@gmail.com), or Jared Piazza (j.piazza@lancaster.ac.uk) if you would like to attend the talks and receive updates about the PHAIR Society.