International Bridge-Building Award

In order for our science to encompass the full range of human experience, SPSP seeks researchers from around the world to participate in its activities. The goal of this award is to serve as an incubator for testing creative ideas that would help build connections and communication across the world.

Specifically, we invite proposals to create an event associated with SPSP’s annual convention whose goal is to promote communication, exchanges and partnerships with scholars from countries currently under-represented in SPSP and in mainstream personality and social psychology. Award selection criteria will focus on contribution to enhancing international diversity and representation of the meeting and more broadly of the field, as well as the event’s potential to build lasting exchanges and partnerships with scholars from under-represented world regions.

Given the format of the 2023 annual convention, two types of applications are solicited:

• In-Person Event: one or more organizers would attend the convention in Atlanta. The participants may be in remote locations to participate virtually or in Atlanta to participate in person.
• Virtual Event: organizers and participants would participate in convention activities virtually.

Awardees will receive $2,250 USD to support the proposed activities associated with the conference (e.g., technology, marketing, registration and membership fees for invited presenters or attendees) and for any necessary preparatory work leading up to the conference (e.g., organizing researchers in the underrepresented region(s)). In-Person event awardees will receive an additional $750 to support travel and other expenses related to convention attendance. One event organizer will receive complimentary registration and SPSP membership.

Recipients of this award will work with members of the International Committee to ensure feasibility and maximize impact of proposed activities. In addition, in-person award winners are expected to attend the International reception at the convention, where they will have the opportunity to meet with each other, members of the International Committee, and other SPSP members interested in international research. The International Committee is exploring ways to make the reception accessible to virtual award winners, and will keep them apprised of our progress.

After the annual convention, the awardee is expected to prepare a summary of the activity and any information that would be helpful to those planning similar events in the future.

Examples of Activities/Projects

These are provided as examples of the types of activities that this award might fund. They are not meant to constrain applicants from proposing other types of activities that could reasonably be expected to achieve the same or similar goals as those outlined in this award. In fact, it is hoped that the award will foster many other innovative ideas for activities that scholars in under-represented regions would find useful for building a more inclusive and diverse SPSP community. Interested applicants should review previous awards for ideas of the types of activities that have been funded under this mechanism. You may contact the International Committee Co-Chairs to discuss your ideas prior to submission M. Lynne Cooper, cooperm@missouri.edu and Dr. Amber Gayle Thalmayer, ambergayle@gmail.com

One example of an activity that this award might support is a live-streaming of a special session taking place at the conference (e.g., via iPads mounted on tripods), that would be organized by the awardee and designed to facilitate communication and possible future collaboration between conference attendees and those in an under-represented world region(s). Well before arriving at the conference, the awardee would have planned a gathering of psychology researchers interested in connecting with SPSP, at a venue or venues in the region(s) where the live streaming will be shown during the conference. The gathering in turn could be live streamed to the session taking place at SPSP, to facilitate two-way communication (e.g., Q&A, presentation by a researcher at the session in the proposed region(s) shown at the SPSP conference). Furthermore, a part of the session could be designed to explicitly facilitate collaboration between the attendees at SPSP and those from the proposed region(s).

A second example might be a virtual workshop designed to share information, e.g., about publishing or funding mechanisms, with scholars from underrepresented regions. The organizer of such a workshop would make announcements and preparations months ahead of the conference to encourage people from underrepresented regions to participate. During the SPSP conference, there might be an online event where participants share information with each other. Experienced researchers with relevant expertise could be invited to the session and share their knowledge in response to questions from participants.

These are provided as examples of the types of activities that this award might fund. They are not meant to constrain applicants from proposing other types of activities that could reasonably be expected to achieve the same or similar goals as those outlined in this award. In fact, it is hoped that the award will foster many other innovative ideas for activities that scholars in under-represented regions would find useful for building a more inclusive and diverse SPSP community.

Any SPSP member (or non-member) who is currently based outside of the U.S. and Canada and commits to attend the 2023 SPSP convention (virtually or in-person) is eligible to apply for the International Bridge-Building Award. Membership will be granted for one organizer per award.

While North American scholars may apply as part of a team of scholars, the primary applicant(s) must be based outside of North America. Priority will be given to applications that are spearheaded by and focus on scholars from underrepresented areas including most countries in Southern and Eastern Europe; Asia, the Pacific Islands, and Oceania; Africa and the Middle East; and Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.

Applicants will provide their current CVs and a 500-word pre-proposal outlining their ideas about the proposed activities, and how they would contribute to the internationalization of social and personality psychology research, and promote communication, build connections/partnerships with scholars from under-represented world regions.  The International Committee will notify the finalists, who will then submit a 1000-word document providing:

• Information to support the feasibility of the proposed activities,
• Timeline of activities in preparation for the proposed event during the 2023 convention, and
• A budget (US $2,250) to support the virtual/remote activities, and for in-person applications, a budget (US $750) for travel expenses to support convention attendance by one or more primary organizers. SPSP does not provide honorarium for organizers.

Selection Process

• Members of the SPSP International Committee will review the applications.
• The main selection criteria will be the proposed program’s ability to increase communication, collaboration, and partnership with scholars from under-represented countries.

Priority will be given to applications that are spearheaded by and focus on scholars from under-represented areas including most countries in Southern and Eastern Europe; Asia, the Pacific Islands, and Oceania; Africa and the Middle East; and Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.

Apply here

2021 Convention

Building Bridges over WEIRD Science

Organizer: Monk Prayogshala

Monk Prayogshala, a non-profit research organization in Mumbai, India. Prayogshala discussed the phenomena specific to South East Asia (with a focus on India) that may not have theories in western/canonical social psychological and personality science. For instance, thus far, most theories of intergroup behaviors focus on race. It is largely unclear what happens when countries are largely monolith with respect to race, but have other facets of intergroup violence? Do theories of intergroup behaviors translate to other groups, such as different languages, religions, or caste? Prayogshala also discussed diverse topics of interest in Southeast Asia and the Global South.
 

Creating Cutting-Edge Open Science Syllabi for African Research Methods Courses

Organizers: Adeyemi Adetula (Université Grenoble Alpes),  Hans IJzerman (Université Grenoble Alpes, France & Institut of Universitaire de France), Dana Basnight-Brown (United States International University, Nairobi, Kenya), Patrick Forscher (Université Grenoble Alpes, France), Jordan Wagge (Avila University, United States)

Social psychology is a global enterprise. However, we lack freely-available resources adapted to indigenous languages and circumstances. How can cutting-edge syllabi on open science be created to address this problem on the African continent. Two areas of focus are how to integrate CREP, a model focused on using team science replications to teach open science, into research methods classes; and what are the barriers and solutions to adapting and teaching the CREP model in African institutions.
 

Personality and Social Psychology in the Arab Middle East: Emic Perspectives on Psychological Research

Organizer: Angela Maitner (American University of Sharjah, UAE)

Speakers: Othman Alkhadher, Professor of Organizational Psychology (Kuwait University); Marwan Taher Al-Zoubi, Professor of Career, Personality, and Organizational Psychology, Department of Psychology (University of Jordan); Dorra Ben Alaya, Lecturer in Social Psychology (Tunis El Manar University, Tunisia); Lameese Eldesouky, Assistant Professor of Personality and Social Psychology (American University of Cairo, Egypt); Charles Harb, Professor of Social, Political, and Cultural Psychology (American University of Beirut, Lebanon); Tabassum Rashid, Associate Professor of Personality and Social Psychology (Effat University, Saudi Arabia). 

This topic introduces ongoing research and research opportunities in the Arab Middle East. Highlighting faculty who work in the region and emic perspectives regarding psychological processes and future research goals. Elements discussed introduced local faculty and research environments and highlight opportunities and challenges associated with conducting research throughout the region. Also, important context sensitive concerns associated with psychological processes and research methods.

You may contact the International Committee Co-Chairs M. Lynne Cooper, cooperm@missouri.edu and Dr. Amber Gayle Thalmayer, ambergayle@gmail.com or awards@spsp.org for more information.