Social & Organisational

Our group conducts research and teaching in a range of core areas within social psychology. We are recognised as one of the leading centres in the world in the study of social identity and self-categorisation, particularly in relation to stereotypes and stereotyping, prejudice and ethnocentrism, leadership and social influence, fairness and trust, group processes and learning, the self-concept and intergroup behaviour.

In addition, our group has published extensively on topics ranging from ignorance and uncertainty and computational social psychology to education psychology.

Some recent highlights

  • Together with 52 colleagues from across the world, Dr Boris Bizumic participated in the World Views project for which data were collected online from 8,883 individuals in 33 countries. Results showed important cross-cultural differences in the way individuals experience religion, regularity-norm behaviours, family roles and living arrangements and ethnonationalism.
  •  In work funded by the Army Research Scheme, Dr Dirk Van Rooy is exploring how insights from social psychology and cognitive modelling can be used to improve individual and collective learning and training in real and synthetic environments.
  • Prof Michael Platow & Dr Dirk Van Rooy, together with colleagues from Europe and Israel, are exploring how an understanding of lay-beliefs around prejudice affects attempts to combat it in work funded by an ARC discovery grant.
  • Prof Kate Reynolds,  Dr Eunro Lee and Dr Kathleen Klik are conducting research on school (group) processes in ACT high schools and key factors that contribute to better performing schools including outcomes such as prosocial behaviour, attendance, well-being and learning.  This research has received funding from the ARC, and is of great interest to a range of policy makers and educator.
  • Prof Mike Smithson is examining the impact of ambiguity and conflict on judgements and decisions, with the aim of advancing understanding of the influence of uncertainty on individuals, in work funded by an ARC Discovery grant.

Academic staff

Visiting staff