SPSP Award Encourages International Collaboration at Annual Convention

The Society for Personality and Social Psychology is committed to ensuring that our science encompasses the full range of human experience. We offer the International Bridge-Building Award as an incubator for testing innovative ideas to help build connections and collaboration around the world.

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.

In 2021, the award led to three compelling sessions that tackled pressing issues in personality and social psychology through an international lens:

A non-profit research organization based in Mumbai, India, Monk Prayogshala, organized a discussion that addressed phenomena specific to South East Asia that may not have theories in Western social psychological and personality science. One example covered during the session was the focus of most theories of intergroup behaviors on race. This discussion explored the role of research when countries are largely monolithic, but have other facets of intergroup violence.

The lack of freely available social psychology resources that are adapted to indigenous languages and circumstances was highlighted during a second session. An international group of researchers, representing Kenya, France, and the United States, examined how cutting-edge syllabi on open science can be created to address this challenge in Africa.

Angela Maitner, representing the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, designed a third session to introduce ongoing research and opportunities in the Arab Middle East. This discussion shed light on faculty who work in the region and emic perspectives on psychological processes and future research goals, as well as the challenges of conducting research throughout the region.

We are glad to offer the International Bridge-Building Award once again in 2021 and will be accepting applications until July 20 at 11:59 PM ET. To learn more about the award, click here.

The Psychological Effects of Memorial Day and Other Commemorations

Before dawn on April 25, I was standing in the driveway of my sister’s house, on the southeast coast of Australia, with my sister and her husband. The neighbours were out too, standing in their own driveway, and down the road we could see other households as well, marked in the dark by the lone candles they had lit. My brother-in-law brought out a speaker, and at 6 am he played “The Last Post,” a bugle call similar to “Taps.” We stood for a minute of silence, interrupted by a car rumbling past and cut short by an ad playing on the radio.

The pandemic has introduced us to new rituals—such as applauding health care workers in the evening—but this fledgling driveway ritual was built on an old one. April 25 is Anzac Day in Australia, a day for commemorating Australians lost in war. (Anzac stands for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, and April 25, 1915 was when they engaged in an ill-fated campaign at Gallipoli, Turkey.)

This year, in-person Anzac Day memorial services were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But an alternative quickly sprung up as veterans’ organizations and volunteers rallied to encourage people to “Light up the Dawn” by holding a commemorative service in their driveways.

For me, it wasn’t just the facts of the ritual that got me out of bed that morning, to drink my coffee in the pre-dawn chill and count candles down the road. I have also had an long-time academic interest in war commemorations, and last year—it feels like a lifetime ago!—Bernhard Leidner and I surveyed people in Australia and the U.S. about their experiences on commemorative days. How do people feel about their country’s loss of life during war on these days? And what about the broader social effects: Do commemorations prompt militaristic attitudes, as some have worried, because they shallowly glorify war? Or do they prompt greater pacifism because—as the saying goes—those who forget history are doomed to repeat it?

With the help of colleagues in France and Germany, we also surveyed people in the U.K., France, Australia, and the U.S. on November 11, and in Germany on Volkstrauertag. But I’ll focus here on the results from the U.S. on Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

We surveyed a group of people a week or two before the commemorative day, and then asked these same people the same questions on the commemorative day, and compared the responses. How do people feel when thinking about U.S. loss of life in war—sad, proud, grateful, admiring, anxious, angry? We also asked their opinions about two contemporary conflicts: the conflict over Iran’s nuclear program, and the conflict over China’s maneuvers in the South China Sea. Would Memorial Day and Veterans Day influence what people thought of proposed diplomatic and military solutions to these conflicts?

What we found: First, participants reported feeling more gratitude, pride, awe, and admiration when thinking about loss of life in war on commemorative days than when they were asked at baseline. In other words, commemorations move people.

Other findings were more surprising to us. On Veterans Day and Memorial Day, people reported greater support for diplomatic solutions to U.S. conflicts with Iran and China than they did a week or two earlier. Overall, support for diplomatic solutions was higher than support for military solutions, and support for military solutions remained low on Veterans Day and Memorial Day. Our results do not support the idea that commemorations make people more hawkish.

Further, on commemorative days U.S. participants tended to feel more concerned about the military, and this sentiment was related to the increase in support for diplomatic solutions to conflict. Previous research has usually suggested that anti-military attitudes are associated with concern for outgroup lives, arguing that people oppose war out of concern for civilians in the enemy country. To be clear, our results support this established pathway to peace: Participants in our study who in general expressed concern about the effect of war on outgroup civilians were also more likely to support diplomatic solutions and less likely to support military solutions. But, concern for ingroup lives can also be linked to support for diplomacy in the context of war commemorations, when we’re remembering the sacrifices made by our fellow citizens.

There are still many questions remaining, not least about how these effects differ across countries. We found greater support for diplomatic solutions to the Iran conflict on Remembrance Day in the U.K., but not in France and Germany. And in Australia, we found the same effect on Remembrance Day but not on Anzac Day. The inconsistencies are not terribly surprising given national differences in history and in the meaning of particular celebrations. But they mean that we should be cautious in the conclusions we draw about war commemorations. These findings may not apply outside the U.S.  Even within the U.S., we need to understand how reactions to Memorial Day and Veterans Day may differ across people depending on their attitudes, experiences, personalities, and ages. And, I should note that our article reporting these studies is not yet published in a peer-reviewed journal.

This year, during our early morning Anzac Day ritual, I reflected on what it means to “unite” as we were standing so many meters apart, along the road, separated by social distancing rules but brought together by the idea of remembrance. We were there to remember the fallen heroes of the past, but I was also thinking of those who are on the current, metaphorical “front lines” in hospitals and clinics around the country. This year, Americans on Memorial Day may not only be thinking about diplomacy and military conflict, but also wrestling with the medical battles being fought within their country. But the sentiment “Thank you for your service” remains as relevant as ever.


For Further Reading

Paez, D., & Liu, J. H. (2011). Collective memory of conflicts. Intergroup conflicts and their resolution: A social psychological perspective, 105-124.

Amble, J. (2015). How we commemorate Memorial Day. Commentary published in War on the Rocks, May 25, 2015.

Watkins, H. M., & Bastian, B. (2019). Lest We Forget: The Effect of War Commemorations on Regret, Positive Moral Emotions, and Support for War. Social Psychological and Personality Science10(8), 1084-1091.

 

Hanne M Watkins studied war commemorations during her Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. This work was funded and supported by the UMass Psychology of Peace and Violence Program. She is currently an Adviser with the Behavioural Economics Team of the Australian Government.

Seeing Through the Fog: Forgiveness and Collective Apologies

In a series of studies social psychologists examined group forgiveness and found that individuals are astute perceivers of political process. For an apology to be sincere, the process must show that the offenders are in agreement about the apology and that the person(s) saying sorry for the group represents the whole group.

Public and political apologies have steeply increased in recent times. Yet the sincerity of those apologies and how they are received by victims varies widely. Based on new social psychological research on group apologies, the sincerity of a collective apology is judged not so much by the inner state of the person issuing the apology but rather by the inner state of the group that the apologizer represents.

For apologies between individuals the apologizer accounts for their individual wrongdoing and, to be sincere, needs to be true to their own inner feelings and beliefs. With collective apologies the apologizer accounts for the group’s wrongdoing. Sincerity here depends on the apologizer representing the group’s feelings and beliefs. Democratic process and majority endorsement within the offender group therefore influence victims’ perception of sincerity and conciliatory response.

In a series of four studies, researchers in Australia investigated how people react to apologies for wrongdoing engineered in lab settings and to Japan’s real-life apology in regards to Australian POW camps in WWII. The most effective group apologies came from democratic rather than random decision-making processes. Apologies were also more likely to be perceived as sincere and responded to with forgiveness if the wider offender group was seen to support the apology.

“The sincerity of an apology is often critical for it to be viewed positively by victims,” says lead author Michael Wenzel (Flinders University).

He notes that people are very perceptive of the decision dynamics within an offender group, and this plays into how victims respond to apologies.

“Victim group members not only consider the apology itself but also how it has come about; whether it is based on democratic decision-making processes or not, and whether it is carried by a majority of the offender group,” says Wenzel.

“Governments and political leadership intent on repairing the moral harm due to their group’s past actions, as well as repairing the relationship with the victim group, should try and build consensus within their group about the appropriateness of an apology to the victim group,” says Wenzel. “They should consult with their wider group membership and engage them in a collective decision to apologize to the victim group.” He also notes that awareness of division within the debates is important, as this can ultimately affect how the victimized group perceives the apology.

“Apologies always seem to trigger the question whether ‘they really mean it,’” summarizes Wenzel, “For collective apologies the clues lie in group-internal processes and ‘domestic politics.’ Victims seem to be attuned to those. A question is whether offender groups or their political leaders are, too.”

Researchers Michael Wenzel, Tyler G. Okimoto (The University of Queensland), Matthew J. Hornsey (The University of Queensland), Ellie Lawrence-Wood (The University of Adelaide) and Anne-Marie Coughlin (Flinders University) worked on the study, recently published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.


Study Michael Wenzel, Tyler G. Okimoto, Matthew J. Hornsey, Ellie Lawrence-Wood and Anne-Marie Coughlin, The Mandate of the Collective: Apology Representativeness Determines Perceived Sincerity and Forgiveness in Intergroup Contexts. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.  First published online: April 4, 2017.

Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (PSPB), published monthly, is an official journal of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP). SPSP promotes scientific research that explores how people think, behave, feel, and interact. The Society is the largest organization of social and personality psychologists in the world. Follow us on Twitter, @SPSPnews and find us on facebook.com/SPSP.org.

Pegah Nejat Named Next PSPR Editorial Fellow

The senior editorial team at Personality and Social Psychology Review (PSPR) is excited to announce that Dr. Pegah Nejat has been selected as the next PSPR Editorial Fellow. Dr. Nejat is an Assistant Professor of Social Psychology at Shahid Beheshti University (SBU) and Director of the SBU Social Psychology Lab.

The Editorial Fellowship is sponsored by SPSP, in service of the organization's core values of innovation, rigor, diversity, and inclusiveness. This program seeks to create a supportive pathway to editorial leadership for psychologists from communities that have been historically excluded from these roles. In contrast to many editorial fellowship programs in academic psychology, the PSPR senior editorial team has focused this fellowship on scholars in the Global South and Indigenous scholars across the world.

The PSPR team is thrilled to welcome Dr. Nejat and looks forward to learning from her experience and expertise. Learn more about Dr. Nejat and her work below.

Q&A with PSPR Editorial Fellow

Pegah Nejat headshot

Pegah Nejat, PhD

Assistant Professor of Social Psychology at Shahid Beheshti University in Iran (SBU), and Director of the SBU Social Psychology Lab

Will you please tell us a little about your own research?

Broadly, implicit social identities, stereotypes, self-esteem, and attitudes have constituted my focus throughout the years. The most salient themes of my current research, however, include moral psychology and intergroup perception, affect, and behavior. I have explored the moral underpinnings of diverse cultural issues such as conspiracy beliefs, immigration intention, justice beliefs, perception of immigrants, and reaction to threats. Moreover, I have used established stereotype frameworks to examine perception of social groups including immigrants, people with psychopathology, and perpetrators/victims of honor aggressions in the context of my Iranian culture. I supervise the Social Psychology Lab at Shahid Beheshti University. Together with my enthusiastic students, we have conducted studies on the topics listed above, as well as some on self and identity, person perception, effects of exposure to social media, and social judgement.

Why were you interested in the Editorial Fellowship?

As a female early career Middle-Eastern social psychologist, I see the opportunity of the Editorial Fellowship at PSPR as extremely valuable and vitally important. First of all, it will enable me to connect to and collaborate with social/personality psychologists from around the globe. Second, I'll be able to witness the process of editorship in a high-impact journal, and be mentored by high-profile social/personality psychologists. Finally, this experience will help me develop so I can contribute to editorship in international journals, in addition to founding and leading social psychological journals in my own country of Iran. Given that social psychology is a rather young branch of psychology in my country, compared to more established branches such as clinical, educational, developmental, and cognitive, very few mentors and role models in high editorial positions of the field have been available to me, making my progress painfully hard and time-consuming. As such, this opportunity marks a significant milestone in my career trajectory.

Will you please describe how you hope to share what you learn from the fellowship more broadly?

First of all, I am going to use the experience to direct my research and my career, as an instructor, faculty member, and lab supervisor. Second, I wish to be able to act as mentor and facilitator to young scholars interested in pursuing social and personality psychology in my country.

Along with the 2023 PSPR Editorial Fellow and other members of the PSPR team, you are co-editing a Special Issue of the journal focused on highlighting personality and social psychological theory from the Majority World.  Would you please tell us a little about why the team chose to develop this Special Issue and what your hopes are for it?

I highly appreciate this initiative conceptualized by the PSPR editorial team, and welcome the fact that it provides non-Western scholars with the opportunity to contribute to the ongoing theoretical work in social and personality psychology, most particularly enriching it with Indigenous notions. This constitutes an important step toward incorporating conceptual and theoretical perspectives from non-Western settings, which speak to context-sensitive experiences of people beyond those who are most often studied by Western psychologists. Despite these settings constituting the majority of the world's population, their voices have been rather underrepresented throughout the science and practice of psychology. PSPR, as a well-established journal in the field, with its notably diverse Editorial Board and Emerging Editorial Board, is in a good position to facilitate such an endeavor. I have already taken advantage of this opportunity to invite social/personality psychologists from South and East Asian, Middle Eastern, African, and Latin American countries, to submit their conceptual and theoretical work to this special issue of PSPR. We hope that contributions to this special issue will fulfill two important goals: First, to catalyze dialogue between Western and Majority World scholars; and second, to contribute to a truly global science of personality and social psychology.

Will you please offer a wish for the future of our field?

I wish for a truly international and intercontinental personality and social psychology, taking into account the lived experiences of people from diverse cultural backgrounds, encouraging intercultural understanding and peace, as well as working towards the eradication of prejudice, radicalism, oppression, and discrimination. Economic and political hurdles have long played a significant role in setting back non-Western scholars from making the kinds of contributions to the field that they are capable of making. My hope is that studies from non-Western contexts be more fully represented in both empirical and theoretical outlets of the field to ideally lead to a more comprehensive and less biased understanding of human social functioning as situated in its geographical, ecological, historical, economic, and socio-political context.
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For more information about Personality and Social Psychology Review, please visit their website. To learn more about other academic journals affiliated with SPSP, visit the Journals page.

 

SPSP’s First Delegation to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland

Recently, SPSP has stepped up its international efforts by acquiring Special Consultative status with the United Nations. This new status allows SPSP to engage with the UN, enter the UN buildings in New York, Vienna, and Geneva with an official UN delegate badge, and participate in and organize a wide range of meetings, expert committees, and events. To get the most out of this new status, SPSP has also set up a new SPSP UN Committee, in order to coordinate delegations and liaise between the SPSP membership and the UN opportunities.

Tobias Ebert, Rakoen Maertens, Anatolia Batruch and Nicolas Sommet
The Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP)’s first delegation to the United Nations on November 29, 2023. UN Office at Geneva, Switzerland.

In the first months after setting up this new committee, we started reaching out to UN representatives of other psychology organizations, including the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI). This resulted in especially good contacts with APA's Senior International Affairs Officer, Gabriel Twose, who warmly invited us to join APA for an event at the UN in Geneva on using psychological science to help reach the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The event was titled "Emotions – A missing link towards delivering the SDGs and long-term sustainability?", and promised to gather a wide range of experts in applied social and personality psychology with practitioners at the UN in Geneva.

The SPSP UN Committee took up the challenge and brought together its first even SPSP UN delegation. The delegates were Anatolia Batruch (University of Lausanne), Tobias Ebert (University of St. Gallen), Nicolas Sommet (University of Lausanne), and myself (Rakoen Maertens, University of Oxford). It started with a strategic meeting over Zoom to discuss our strategy. The strategy for this first delegation was simple, with three direct goals: 1) putting our new special status with the UN to the test by collecting our delegate badges and seeing if we can autonomously enter the UN as representatives of SPSP, 2) contributing to the discussions related to the event, and 3) starting to explore partnerships with other psychology organizations and UN agencies.

That is when we come to November 29, 2023—the day when the first ever SPSP UN delegation arrived in Geneva. I first met up with Tobi Ebert, whom I have known for a couple of years and meet every year at the SPSP Annual Convention. Our meeting point was the main entrance to the UN. Just waiting there and looking at the many country flags already brings a sense of awe: we really are about to enter the heart of international diplomacy. It went smoothly; after being greeted by very kind security staff, they sent us to the delegate badge creation building, where again we were greeted by a friendly team. After taking the worst possible photos to be printed on the delegate badge, we had the honor of wearing SPSP's first-ever delegate badges. We were then free to explore the UN, as official SPSP delegates. Goal #1 accomplished.

UN Badge

While Anatolia and Nicolas arrived and went through security, Tobi and I explored the venues, bumping into delegates from all over the world, reflecting the UN's diversity. It was worth it to have a coffee and walk into one of the larger congregation rooms, to get a sense of what is going on. The views were often incredible, and occasionally we would spot a peacock trying to enter the UN buildings as well, but as they did not have a delegate badge as we did they could not enter the buildings. In the various coffee areas, you can see delegates from all backgrounds sipping their coffee while discussing the latest policies with fellow delegates. Being there makes you feel part of something bigger than yourself.

Switzerland countryside

Finally, we met Anatolia and Nicolas in front of the venue of the event, thereby making our delegation complete. An excellent moment for a photo of the full delegation. We entered the building to find a wide range of people from different backgrounds, from academics with expertise in the psychology of emotion to UN practitioners applying climate psychology to enact real-life behavioral change on a large scale. The event included interesting discussions with Prof. Tobias Brosch (Chair for Psychology of Sustainable Development, University of Geneva), Dr. Branka Pollermann (Independent Researcher, Vox Institute), Prof. Disa Sauter (Associate Professor, University of Amsterdam), Garrette Clark (Sustainable Lifestyles Programme Officer, UN Environment Programme), Özge Aydoğan (Director, SDG Lab), and Edward Mishaud (Senior Adviser, SDG Lab) about how to use the psychological, behavioral, and affective sciences to help reach the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and in particular those related to climate change. Members of SPSP's delegation actively participated and added two topics to the discussion, asking questions about the role of misinformation, and how to make sure that we do not lose oversight of the complexity of some of these problems when focusing on a small aspect of the problem (e.g., emotion). Goal #2 accomplished.

UN Building

After the main discussions, we joined the networking reception, where we met with representatives from the American Psychological Association (APA), the European Federation of Psychologists' Associations (EFPA), the Federation of Swiss Psychologists (FSP), and the University of Geneva (UNIGE). With these connections, we will now seek collaborations to do tangible work with the UN, with the long-term goal of turning this into a true coalition that brings psychology to the various dimensions of the UN's work thereby increasing SPSP's impact on the world stage. Goal #3 accomplished.

In summary, we reached all three of our goals: we received and used our delegate badges, we actively contributed to an event at the UN, and we have made valuable connections with potential future partners for work at the UN. The first delegation of SPSP to the UN was a success, and now the path is open for more strategic work in the future. And above all, everyone in the delegation really enjoyed the work, leaving great memories of collaboration across SPSP delegates, countries, and Universities.

If you would like to learn more about our work and are planning to attend SPSP's 2024 Annual Convention, please do join us on Friday, February 9 at 5:00 PM US PT for our launch event, titled "SPSP at the UN: Launch Event & Inaugural Info Session". The event is set to be held in Room 15B on the Mezzanine Level at the San Diego Convention Center.

SPSP UN Committee

Friedrich Götz (University of British Columbia | https://twitter.com/FriedrichMGoetz)
Rakoen Maertens (University of Oxford | https://twitter.com/RakoenMaertens)
Amber Gayle Thalmayer (University of Zurich)
Support: Stephen Waldron (Communications and Public Relations Manager at SPSP)

 

Navigating the Journey: A Guide for International Graduate Students

Embarking on a graduate program in a new country can be both exhilarating and challenging. International students, in particular, face unique hurdles as they pursue their academic dreams. SPSP Student Committee Past-Chair, Stylianos Syropoulos, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Boston College and shares his experiences as an international graduate student through a new SPSP featured resource, Insights and Advice for International Students. This guide shares Stylianos' experiences and aims to provide invaluable insights and practical solutions for international graduate students stepping into the world of social or personality psychology doctoral programs in the United States.

Stylianos delves into the intricacies faced by international students when applying for graduate programs in the United States. Important themes include financial barriers, the U.S. immigration process, and embracing cultural diversity.

Overcoming Financial Barriers

In the quest for financial support, international students can explore various avenues. Universities often have pools of funds available for international students, and persistence in applying can yield results. Additionally, small grants offered by professional organizations are worth pursuing. These channels require a proactive and thorough approach, but can be a reliable funding source.

Simplifying the Immigration Maze

Navigating the U.S. immigration process requires strategic planning and careful documentation. Keeping track of critical dates like visa, passport, and I-20 form renewals is essential. Maintaining all I-20 and I-94 forms and tax documents is also crucial for future immigration steps. Students should familiarize themselves with the regulations surrounding Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and Optional Practical Training (OPT) to maximize their work experience in the U.S. Consulting with one's country's consulate or embassy can provide tailored assistance for unique issues.

Embracing Cultural Diversity

Adapting to a new cultural environment involves actively seeking connections and community. Regular communication with family and friends back home offers emotional support, while engaging in university life through student associations and departmental events helps build a new support network. Participating in cultural and religious groups can also provide a sense of belonging and ease the cultural adjustment process.

A Journey of Growth and Opportunity

As an international student, you embark on an enriching journey filled with growth, learning, and unique cultural experiences. These explorations are part of a larger adventure that will shape you professionally and personally. With an open heart and a determined spirit, embrace these opportunities and lean on the help of SPSP resources, such as Stylianos' Insights and Advice for International Students, additional SPSP International Resources and SPSP Graduate Student Development Resources

International Student Resources

Stylianos discusses that universities typically have dedicated portals listing funding opportunities and recommends checking these regularly. Social and personality psychology professional societies also list grants and awards on their websites. For immigration-related information, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website is a comprehensive resource. Additionally, university international offices often organize programs and events for cultural exchange and support, which can be very beneficial. The key to finding the right school is to research and consider your interests and goals. Start your search early, as the graduate application process can be time-consuming, and we recommend that you start researching and preparing 12-18 months in advance, giving yourself ample time to gather the necessary information and write a stellar personal essay. Some institutions may require ESL standardized tests or require your transcripts to be translated if they are not in English. During the process, connecting with alumni and faculty will help build professional connections and can be a great way to learn more about your program of interest. Stay organized by knowing essential dates and deadlines, maintaining all immigration documentation, familiarizing yourself with work authorizations, and diligently consult your consulate or embassy for questions unique to your situation.

Here are some resource links to help you on your journey:

  1. U.S. Department of State - Student Visa
  2. APAGS Student Resources for International Students
  3. APA International Programs Resources
  4. EducationUSA - Financial Aid for International Students
  5. College Board - International Student Admission Requirements
  6. U.S. News & World Report - Studying in the United States

For additional expert advice from the SPSP member community on international student graduate applications, check out this two-part series from prior SPSP's SPSPotlight newsletter feature articles:

  1. Expert Advice on Applying to Doctoral and Postdoc Programs for Students from Underrepresented Groups (Part One)
  2. Expert Advice on Applying to Doctoral and Postdoctoral Programs for Students from Underrepresented Groups (Part Two)

The world of personality and social psychology in the United States is as rewarding as it is challenging. By staying connected and utilizing available SPSP graduate student resources, your journey is set to be a vibrant and enriching experience.

Good luck!

 

Insights and Advice for International Students

I first came to the U.S. as an undergraduate student in 2014. I have now spent nearly ten years in this country. In these ten years, I have met many fellow international scholars with whom I have shared similar struggles and experiences. Much like open-science and international collaboration initiatives, I believe that there is no better way to help each other than by sharing our experiences so that others who are going through similar hardships have an informed understanding of what the hurdles that an international student might face in the U.S., and what are some steps that can be taken to prevent them.

This is a topic that I could go on about for hours, something that those who know me can easily attest to. However, below I will try to be succinct, and focus on what were for me, the three biggest obstacles: (1) grants and funding, (2) the immigration process, and (3) cultural shock.

Grants and Funding

International students are ineligible for most federal research grants. To the best of my knowledge, the only federal research grant I was able to apply was the NIH K-99 award, which is for postdocs focusing on health-related research. This immediately puts you at a disadvantage for several reasons. First, by default, you must teach during graduate school to make ends meet. For those interested in a teaching-oriented role, this is of course a blessing. However, for those international students interested in a research-oriented position in or outside of academia, this becomes a hurdle, as you need to find time for research. Second, you have less to show in terms of funding, as for most of the other grants you will be eligible to apply for, as the PI will be considerably smaller.

This is undoubtedly an uphill battle, but don't despair, as there are solutions. As with other issues I will address below, the key is to be proactive and thorough. There are four main avenues to receive funding.

Institutional Funding

Depending on your institution, you might have access to a funding pool, which might range in competitiveness. If available, these grants/funding opportunities should be on your radar. Ask your department chair or the grants office about these opportunities at your institution. They tend to be annual and usually have the same repeating deadline. Put them in your calendar and be persistent; eventually, you will land a grant. Even if you don't, writing a grant can greatly inform your thinking and future studies by helping you put your thoughts on paper (or in this day and age, on a keyboard).

Small Grants From Professional Societies

Funding from professional organizations will probably become your bread and butter for grants. These grants typically tend to have requirements about being in a specific career stage and/or having received the grant in the first place. As with institutional funding, these grants tend to be annual, with the same deadlines each year. Aside from opportunities offered by SPSP (i.e., Outstanding Research Award, Small Grants Program, Jenessa Shapiro Graduate Research Award), APA has a plethora of divisions, each with its own set of grants. Further, the Association for Psychological Science (APS) has its own small grants program. Being on Listervs and on social media (X/Bluesky) can also help with being aware of other unique opportunities that are not annual. Although I only listed a few groups, there are many professional organizations and societies in and outside of the United States that offer such funding opportunities, so ask around to find more.

Funding From Your Home Country

Depending on your country of citizenship, you might be eligible for funding opportunities from private foundations or federal pools of funding. It's always a smart decision to investigate what these might be and enroll in their newsletters in case a relevant opportunity pops up.

Federal Grants and Funding From Private Foundations

Although chances are you will not be able to apply for these yourself, your PI would most likely be eligible to apply. As long as you have a good idea, and you can convince your PI that your idea is rock solid, then they could be the PI on the grant. Even if you don't get that honor, should your team receive the funding, this will elevate your research, as well as potentially allow you to focus solely on your research without having to juggle teaching and research at the same time.

No Funding, No Problem Finally, there are ways to work around the lack of funding. Initiatives like the Collaborative Replication and Education Project (CREP) and the Psychological Science Accelerator (PSA) allow someone to be part of a larger data collection effort without a high cost. The Time-sharing Experiments for the Social Sciences (TESS) is another wonderful initiative where you can apply as many times as you want (with different proposals), and if you get funded, they will conduct your research for you with a representative sample of Americans. These databases include the Cooperative Election Study (CES), American National Election Studies (ANES), General Social Survey (GSS), The European Social Survey (ESS), the World Values Survey (WVS), the different Barometers (e.g., Eurobarometer, Afrobarometer, etc.). There are plenty of databases like these that range in specificity. For instance, for those who research close relationships and love, the Love Consortium is a great resource, and for those who research gratitude, the Global Gratitude Dataverse is a great tool. More broadly, many of the Many Labs' initiatives also post their data after the first main paper resulting from the project has been published. These data are also usually published as a paper in Scientific Data, so keep an eye out! Ultimately, even national indexes themselves could serve as data depending on your research question. So, in short, data is available if one knows where to look.

Immigration Process

The immigration process is definitely a stressor for most international students, and the process is quite a burden. Depending on your country of citizenship, this burden will vary on its magnitude. Nevertheless, there are certain principles/lessons that I believe apply to most international students. I outline these briefly below.

  1. Know your dates. When does your passport expire? When does your F1/J1/H1B visa expire? When do you need to update your I20? Set calendar reminders several months ahead so you don't get caught by surprise every time the date comes.
  2. Keep all your I-20s and download all your I94 forms. You never know when you will need them. While you are at it, keep all your tax return documents in the same folder.
  3. Find you what office handles international student affairs at your institution and become their best friend. In my experience, nobody will advocate for you, so you must be proactive about your needs and questions. Knowing who the point person is and building rapport with them helps a lot.
  4. Become familiar with Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and Optional Practical Training (OPT). In short, CPT can occur during your program (i.e., when you are still a student) and can help you gain additional experience (and get paid for it). Your CPT will not affect OPT if CPT is authorized for less than 12 months of full-time work (i.e., more than 20 hours per week). If your full-time CPT duration is 12 months, you will not be able to apply for OPT. However, part-time CPT (20 hours per week or fewer) will not be deducted from OPT. OPT is geared for opportunities following graduation (e.g., internships, postdoctoral positions, etc.). It can last from 1 to 3 years. After your first year, you can apply for an extension if your program is a STEM program.
  5. As with point #1, know your dates! You will need to apply months in advance for both CPT and OPT, so do your research and be proactive!
  6. Both CPT and OPT are available at the undergraduate and graduate levels, with each being independent of each other. In general, both opportunities can help extend your stay in the U.S., help you earn more, and build your skills.
  7. Speak to your consulate/embassy. If you have an immigration question that is unique to your country or a question that your institution authority cannot help you with, call or visit your consulate/embassy. They are equipped to handle most matters

Cultural Shock

Leaving your country can be a tough decision. It can be even more complex when it's your first time living alone or when it is your first time in another country that speaks a different language. At times, you might feel lonely or like you don't belong. Culture shock can be tough and a seemingly insurmountable obstacle. While there are individual differences in how much people seek and actively enjoy solace, if you are the person who enjoys the company of others, there are ways to address this and try to get over culture shock. First, depending on your relationship with your family, talk to them. Don't be a stranger. Hearing a familiar voice, be it your family or friends, and hearing your mother tongue is always nice. Second, depending on the size of your institution, there are probably groups or student associations where you can meet other people. Whether it is a graduate student association/union or a group for people from your country, reach out. International Program Offices also tend to host social nights where different international students can meet others. Go to departmental events and meet fellow students (especially if free food is involved!). A wide variety of events could help you feel connected to others and build meaningful relationships that can support you through your studies.

Outside of your institution, there are multiple groups you could look out for. Depending on the city where you live, and your own background, there could be religious communities or Facebook groups for people of your nationality. As a Greek person, whenever I solo travel to a large city I have not visited before, I always join a "Greeks in XXX" group beforehand to find people who would like to meet. Enroll in your embassies or consulate (if one is in the city you live in) newsletter to stay up to date for cultural events relevant to your country. Alternatively, some apps allow you to meet friends online (akin to dating apps). Although these opportunities can vary a lot depending on your geographic location, some of them should be available to you, and if you are actively seeking to meet new people and find ways to adapt and thrive to life in the U.S., these tips could be helpful for your academic career and personal life.

 

SPSP Joins Multi-Society Partnership to Relaunch Open-Access Journal Personality Science

The journal Personality Science will be relaunching in 2024, published by Sage, and SPSP is joining the European Association of Personality Psychology (EAPP) to connect the publication with societies around the world.

As part of this role in the partnership, an SPSP member to be determined will serve as an Associate Editor of Personality Science. Given the global focus of the journal's aims, this partnership will allow SPSP to demonstrate its commitment to international collaboration and inclusion of geographical diversity. In addition to EAPP and SPSP, this partnership is comprised of the Association for Research in Personality (ARP), the Japan Society of Personality Psychology (JSPP), and the Australasian Congress on Personality and Individual Differences (ACPID).

This relaunch will provide a high-quality outlet through which personality psychologists can share their scholarship. The journal can help personality psychologists at all levels by enabling them to reach a broad audience that includes the public and policymakers.

The journal's diamond open-access designation means that the journal will be free of charge for authors and readers alike. SPSP believes that this aligns with its commitment to advance the science, teaching, and application of personality and social psychology for the benefit of all people.

"As a personality psychologist, I'm excited that SPSP is investing in bringing personality research to a wide audience," says Laura King. "The international focus of Personality Science, as well as its open-access model, will raise awareness of our work and strengthen the field in the years to come."

SPSP will share updates on this new partnership as the journal begins publishing in the new year. Those who have questions in the meantime are encouraged to contact SPSP Executive Director, Rachel Puffer, at [email protected].

 

SPSP Expands International Efforts with United Nations Consultative Status

SPSP is pleased to share that it has been granted Consultative Status by the United Nations (UN), a major step forward as the organization strives to increase the impact and societal awareness of personality and social psychology research.

Consultative Status grants SPSP access to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), which coordinates the UN's economic, social, environmental, and related work. SPSP will have the opportunity to provide expert analysis to ECOSOC, reaching a global audience and contributing to ECOSOC's agenda.

This achievement is the culmination of a grassroots movement within SPSP that has been pushing for greater integration between social-personality psychologists. The project will officially launch during the SPSP 2024 Annual Convention, which will be held from February 8-10, 2024 in San Diego, CA.

SPSP is also launching an interest group, which will be open to anyone who would like to be involved with and/or kept up-to-date on the UN relationship. Those who are interested in sharing psychological science with broader audiences are also highly encouraged to participate. No previous knowledge of or experience with the UN is required.

The interest group will aim to serve the following goals:

  • Offer information about the UN, its structure, its efforts to encourage interdisciplinary and cross-academic dialogue and previous interactions with psychological science
  • Describe what the consultative status means for SPSP and the opportunities it will present for SPSP members
  • Discuss how to best make use of the opportunities this relationship provides for SPSP members and society
  • Chart a path forward to design the formal launch of the project in 2024
  • Recruit members for the SPSP UN Committee, which will launch in 2024, and oversee the project

Those who wish to learn more about the relationship are also encouraged to join a Free-Form Friday session from 12-1 PM ET on June 2. During this informal meeting, Rakoen Maertens of the University of Cambridge and Friedrich Götz of the University of British Columbia will discuss the new Consultative Status with attendees and generate ideas for making the most of this opportunity.

Sign Up for Free-Form Friday Here

This relationship aligns with a key pillar of the SPSP Strategic Framework—ensuring that personality and social psychology is recognized, understood, and valued as a science and can be used to improve the human condition.

SPSP would like to thank and congratulate the International Committee who worked to make this exciting new opportunity possible!

 

From the Board of Directors: Key Updates from the Winter Meeting

The SPSP Board of Directors held its February meeting on the Sunday after the Annual Convention in Atlanta. Board meetings always include a financial report, reports from committees, and actions taken on proposals from committees or board members. I am excited to share some of the highlights.

Chris Crandall, Chair of the Publications Committee, shared a proposal to collaborate with the journal, Personality Science, one of the journals of the European Association for Personality Psychology. This fully open-access journal has a variety of submission types, welcomes submissions from all over the world, and has a broad definition of personality, including identity, attachment, and basically just about anything related to individual differences. As part of our strategic plan strategy for 2025, we aim to expand our inter-organizational and inter-disciplinary collaborations which we hope to do with this opportunity.  The journal is about to relaunch as a fully open-access, truly global outlet for personality scholarship. As part of the relaunch, EAPP has been in discussions with various societies that might sign on to this exciting venture. The journal, edited by Jaap Denissen, has a variety of submission types and welcomes submissions from all over the world. The proposal was the outcome of a series of conversations, including SPSP leadership, members of the SPSP Publications Committee, outgoing PS editor John Rauthmann, and EAPP President Veronica Benet-Martinez. The Board approved signing on to the consortium of societies supporting the journal, joining the Australasian Congress on Personality and Individual Differences, the Association of Research in Personality, and the Japan Society of Personality Psychology. This is such fantastic news for personality scholars and I hope having SPSP's endorsement sends the signal that the Society values deeply our personality scholars. Social psychologists take note as well. The journal's definition of personality is quite broad, including identity, attachment, and anything related to individual differences.

Another highlight for me was President Dolores Albarracin's review of the SPSP Governance Survey. This is a survey of Board members and volunteers who serve on the important committees within SPSP. We all know that academics can be a harried and stressed-out group; certainly everyone knows that committee work is truly the worst. Yet, 80% of respondents to the Governance Survey found their volunteer work with SPSP to be "a satisfying experience" (compared to 72% in 2021). In addition, 77% viewed their committees as "effective." If you have considered getting involved in SPSP as a volunteer but haven't done so, or even if you have not considered it, you might be interested in some of the comments from our volunteers, describing the best parts of their service to SPSP:

"Being part of an organization, in a deeper way, that has been at the center of my professional experience in academia contributing to our central mission as scientists"

 "I am truly appreciative of SPSP for recognizing that the needs of faculty at PUIs differ from those at R1, and for the past few years it's been clear that SPSP values us now. I am proud to be a part of the support system for PUI faculty"

 "I value the opportunity to be involved with scholars in my field, the possibility to network with others and just making an overall difference. It's clear that what I do makes an impact and SPSP strives to be better."

In her Director's Report, Rachel Puffer described a number of terrific initiatives, including the launch of the journal Personality and Social Psychology Review (PSPR) pilot Editorial Fellowship Program. As part of Editor Jonathan Adler's truly visionary approach to PSPR, the pilot focuses on scholars in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America, as well as Indigenous scholars in any country. The first fellow (selected by the PSPR senior editorial team) is Dr. Stephen Baffour Adjei, a Senior Lecturer at Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED) in Kumasi, Ghana. Learn more about Dr. Adjei in this announcement on the SPSP website. This program is a tremendous and innovative way to create a truly global science of human behavior.

Two additional aspects of the agenda reflected the growth of SPSP on the world stage: First, the Society has implemented new membership and registration rates for those in low- and middle-income countries. Secondly, International Committee Co-Chair Amber Gayle Thalmayer (International Committee Co-Chair) and Rakoen Martens presented information regarding SPSP's UN Consultative status. Yes, SPSP has consultative status with the United Nations. Stay tuned for opportunities in this regard!

The Board also reviewed the current budget. Although the budget shortfalls are not as bad as last year, we have not recovered from the effects of the pandemic. Moreover, our royalties from SPSP journals continue to lag compared to previous years. These are difficult financial times for the Society and we are striving mightily to advance programs that our members value while cutting costs as much as possible. Please keep these issues in mind when you register for the conference or update your membership. Why not consider donating to SPSP, to support the programs that have become an important part of the development of our early career members?

As always, we welcome feedback and suggestions from our members. SPSP governance exists to serve SPSP members, and we seek ways to improve the range and quality of our programming and outreach.