The Summer Institute in Social and Personality Psychology (SISPP) is a biannual summer school organized by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, which gathers up to 100 pre-doctoral students in social and personality psychology. In this two-week intensive experience, leading researchers and teachers introduce students to cutting-edge research, techniques, and methodologies in the field. This year’s SISPP was held at the Ohio State University and offered five courses and two workshops. Students were assigned to one of the five courses that covered topics prevalent in modern social-psychological and personality research:

1. Toward Theorizing and Studying Emotion as a Multi-level System of Systems From Cell to Self to Society (led by Drs. Maria Gendron and Christian Waugh)
2. Harnessing Social Psychology to Understand and Improve Health (led by Drs. John Updegraff and Lisa Jaremka)
3. The Psychology of Intergroup Relations (led by Drs. Dominic Packer and Steven Spencer)
4. Psychology of Religion Historical, Contemporary, and Future Directions (led by Drs. Adam Cohen and Kim Rios)
5. Self-regulation and Goal Pursuit From Lab to Life and Back Again (led by Drs. Marina Malavskaya and Brandon Schmeichel)

Additionally, students took part in either a one-day workshop on power analysis (led by Drs. Erin Hennes and Sean Lane) or on text analytics (led by Drs. Tessa Charlesworth and Matthew Rocklage).

EASP Students Experiences

Four students represented EASP: Alexander Tagesson (Lund University), Lorena Moreno (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid), Stefano Ciaffoni (University of Bologna), and Andrej Simić (University of Milan-Bicocca). The following text contains their personal experiences and contributions regarding the SISPP.

Alexander Tagesson (course attended: Toward Theorizing and Studying Emotion as a Multi-level System of Systems: From Cell to Self to Society)

“I enjoyed participating at SISPP and would recommend it to fellow Ph.D. students. The structure of the summer institute gave us plenty of opportunities to discuss our work and potential future collaborations in between coursework. One of the main takeaways from SISPP was meeting and discussing with my peers. I greatly benefitted from learning more about the methodologies used by others and learning more about the topics of their work. I participated in the emotion course and found it interesting, with highly competent and engaging teachers. The literature used in the course gave a good foundational introduction to emotion theory, also including some of the latest progress in the field. Since coming back home, I have used several of the articles we read for my own work.”

Lorena Moreno (course attended: Self-regulation and Goal Pursuit: From Lab to Life and Back Again)

"Words cannot express how lucky I feel for being part of SISPP. First and foremost, I want to thank EASP for offering me this opportunity. SISPP has been a life-changing event that strengthened my scientific identity and raised my interest in social psychology even more. The self-regulation course, the sample size workshop, and the other activities organized by our hosts at the Ohio State University provided us relevant knowledge and encouraged interaction with other scholars, enhancing the worthiness and value of this experience. Finally, I would also like to express my gratitude for having the chance during SISPP to spend time with inspiring professionals like Richard E. Petty, who provided absolutely brilliant professional and academic advice.”

Stefano Ciaffoni (course attended: Toward Theorizing and Studying Emotion as a Multi-level System of Systems: From Cell to Self to Society)

“Emotions serve as the foundation for a wide range of psychological phenomena. Whether we want to understand people’s participation in collective movements, students’ performance during an exam or lovers’ experience of their romantic relationships we are likely going to encounter some form of emotional expression.Throughout my academic journey, I never had the opportunity to delve into the study of emotions, and I am grateful for the chance to explore this subject now. The course structure encouraged interaction and creativity, and I was fortunate to be part of a diverse group of motivated scholars with a broad spectrum of research interests and expertise. Engaging in these group discussions with fellow peers and instructors was the highlight of this experience, as well as gaining insights into several research methodologies that are not commonly used in social psychology.”

Andrej Simić (course attended: The Psychology of Intergroup Relations)

‘’Attending the SISPP broadened my research horizons and served as an excellent platform for professional networking. I would highlight that I had a chance to listen to leading scholars talk about topics that align with my interests and works. However, I would hand-pick the chance to develop research ideas as well as professional and personal relationships with my peers as the main takeaways from this summer school. As a case in point, I am currently working on a project that came out of the summer school with two colleagues doing their doctoral studies in the United States.’’

Implications of the agreement between EASP and SPSP

It is only in relatively recent years that the field has started a reflection about the importance of interdisciplinarity and collaborations between scholars from diverse perspectives, institutions, and geographical locations. However, there are clear obstacles to implementing these principles, such as economic inequality, which may propel the field forward while leaving behind marginalized groups and scholars who already face limited resources.

Additionally, although the research we publish is often accessible to other scholars, we typically discover new research through our preferred journals (often specialized in our specific area of expertise) or by attending conferences. This can lead to the emergence of subfields within the discipline, defined by specific research interests, the geographical locations of scholars, and the availability of funding for travel.

The agreement between EASP and SPSP that enabled us to participate in a summer school that would otherwise have been out of reach not only allowed us to gain exposure to the academic culture and structure in the United States, but also facilitated our contribution to discussions from a unique perspective, which has been acknowledged by the other scholars we met. Additionally, it also paved the way for us to establish enduring relationships with fellow peers, ultimately benefiting the cross-fertilization of two worlds and, consequently, enhancing the quality and applicability of our research output.

Thanks, EASP, for offering us this unique opportunity to make change!