Social Psychology; Uncertainty; Radicalism; Cognitive psychology; Sympathy; Fear
Kees van den Bos presents his research on attitudes toward radicalism and terrorism among adolescents in the Netherlands. He focuses on the social-psychological processes that lead people to defend their own cultural values rigorously and, in doing...
Social action; Personality; Social psychology; Collective behavior
In many ways, working alone and together, people often take action for the benefit of other people, their communities, and for society at large. For example, as individuals, they serve as volunteers and give to charities; and, as members of groups...
The primary foci of Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky’s presentation are the cognitive and motivational processes that distinguish individuals who show exceptionally high and low levels of happiness. By exploring the levels and benefits of happiness, she...
Psychology, Applied; Careers for the 21st century; Social sciences; Universities and colleges; Universities and colleges Graduate work
Dale E. Berger of Claremont Graduate University gives a symposium presentation focusing on preparing for careers where one can apply the science of psychology in non-academic settings. Berger's main thesis is that there are many new and upcoming...
This talk reviews a research program that has produced ten evidence-based principles for how to use both words and pictures to promote learning. Dr. Mayer focuses on the determination of both how people learn (i.e., the science of learning) and...
Youth Social aspects China; Women Social conditions China; Family China; China; Chinese; Smoking Cessation; Epidemiology; Tobacco; Chronic Disease.; Sex education; Sexually transmitted diseases;
Dr. Paula Healani Palmer of the University of Southern California discusses what has been learned about health risk behavior in one of the most quickly and dramatically shifting cultures today—the People’s Republic of China. Palmer discusses...
Social psychology; Conformity; Bandura, Albert, 1925-; Milgram, Stanley; Abu Ghraib Prison; Influence (Psychology); Persuasion (Psychology)
Social psychologist Philip Zimbardo offers an overview of the psychology of evil and his experience studying the phenomenon. Zimbardo defines evil as the exercise of power to do harm, and describes how good people can become evil. Zimbardo suggests...
Religion; Frustration; Uncertainty; Panic; Anxiety; Psychology; Threat; Hate
Dr. Ian McGregor’s most recent research investigates personality and social psychological causes of religious extremism. Based on over a dozen laboratory experiments he has found that various psychological threats cause people to go to extremes....
Social psychology; Social deviance; Uncertainty; Social exclusion; Morality; Loyalty
Dr. Dominic Abrams presents his research on the way people react to extreme, or 'deviant' members of their own and other groups. Group psychology has long established that deviants tend to be rejected within groups, but there are many times when...
Social psychology; Intergroup relations; Bigotry; Tolerance; Prejudice; Hate
Dr. Todd Pittinsky’s research investigates the social psychology of positive intergroup attitudes: the conditions under which they develop, and how they shape the ways people think, feel, and behave. He discusses the three forms of his research:...
Social Psychology; Terrorism; Genocide; Uncertainty; Fear; Threat; Anxiety; Humiliation; Security
Dr. Staub explores the roots of altruism, the origins of violence including genocide and mass killing, as well as prevention, and psychological recovery and reconciliation. Dr. Staub discusses various conditions that can create uncertainty on...
Psychology, Applied; Interpersonal relations; Experiments and innovations in education; Teaching; Learning; Social psychology; Education; Universities and colleges; Classroom environment; Self-determination (Psychology)
Basing on the findings from experiments conducted in the laboratory, schools, home, and special settings such as fMRI brain scans, Dr. Reeve (University of Iowa) addresses the question, “From where does motivation come?” Reflections on these...
We are faced with choices all the time, and a key consideration is often the intensity of the emotional outcome. To assess this, we draw on past experience, where predicted and remembered emotion serve as a road map for decision making. ...
