The ANU Research School of Psychology Annual Lecture is a highlight of our year, showcasing the significant impact of Psychology on community and social issues.

This year's lecture will be delivered by Professor Stephen Reicher, University of St Andrews, UK. In line with the turmoil and tragedy of 2020 the lecture topic is COVID-19 and the contribution of psychology to understanding people’s behaviour under crisis.

Professor Reicher will argue there are two psychologies of relevance to the coronavirus pandemic that have a long history in social psychology and crowd and collective behaviour. One view is that people are a problem in a crisis; irrational, fragile, self-interested, prone to fatigue and easy to panic. The other is that people are constructive; relying on the information and tools available to construct meaning together and take action. In a crisis this action often is tied to group psychology and concern for “us” rather the “I”. There is a stark contrast between these two psychologies and the view that we choose will have a direct impact on the policies and practices that are adopted to respond to the crisis. The choice affects livelihoods and lives and the future of humanity.

About the Speaker:

Stephen Reicher is Wardlaw Professor of Psychology at the University of. St. Andrews. He is a Fellow of The British Academy, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. His work addresses issues of group process and social identity, including such phenomena as crowd behaviour; leadership and social influence; social solidarity and social division; the psychology of conformity and tyranny. Stephen currently advises the UK and Scottish Governments on the behavioural science of COVID-19 and is one of the most prominent psychology academics in the world in publications, presentations, media articles and social media concerning COVID-19.

MORE INFORMATION RELATED TO THE LECTURE:

https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/two-psychologies-and-coronavirus

https://www.socialsciencespace.com/2020/05/crowds-and-covid-excerpt-from-together-apart/

https://news.st-andrews.ac.uk/archive/the-psychology-of-pandemics/

Jetten, J., Reicher, S. D., Haslam, S. A., & Cruwys, T. (2020). Together apart: the psychology of COVID-19. Sage. https://www.socialsciencespace.com/2020/05/addressing-the-psychology-of-together-apart-free-book-download/

Registration is free, and opens on 30^th September 2020. Please see https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/rsp-annual-lecture-2020-tickets-123265910657

Please note this webinar lecture will be recorded.