We are excited to invite our PSI Network members to Melbourne in March for a stimulating two-day academic program followed by a day of featured talks by member-authors presenting their latest books.
Days 1 and 2 (21-22 March) - Program Chair: Nick Hays, Michigan State University
The first two days of the conference feature both eminent and rising scholars from across the PSI Network disciplines of psychology, organizational behavior, sociology, anthropology, political science, and even public health. The varied program includes speaker and interactive sessions as well as evening social activities.
Day 3 (23 March) - Program Chair: Jen Overbeck, Melbourne Business School
On day 3, PSI Network members who have recently published books will share their work with conference attendees, along with special guests from among the Melbourne business community.
PSI was launched for one reason—to connect researchers from different fields who share a common interest in power, status, and influence. These three topics have long captured the attention of academic scholars and continue to inspire empirical work across many disciplines (e.g., psychology, sociology, and biology). Much of this work examines the cognitive and social psychology of power and status dynamics present in diverse populations, ranging from investment bankers to Capuchin monkeys. Taken together, the insights drawn from this body of research are fundamental and its implications are far-reaching.
THE POWER OF US explores the dynamics of shared, social identities. What causes people to develop social identities? What happens to people when they define themselves in terms of group memberships? Under what conditions does the human proclivity to divide the world into “us” and “them” produce toxic conflict and devastating discrimination? And how can shared identities instead be harnessed to improve performance, increase cooperation, and promote social harmony?
