Chemnitz University of Technology Hosts Interdisciplinary Online Conference on Political Psychology

Chemnitz University of Technology Hosts Interdisciplinary Online Conference on Political Psychology

• The conference on the highly topical subject of “Politics and Psychology” is also open to interested parties from outside the field from March 10 to 11, 2022, online and free of charge—Keynote by well-known conspiracy expert Pia Lamberty.

In view of current social and political developments, such as the #Covid 19 #pandemic and conspiracy narratives spreading in this context, or the war in Ukraine and the actions of Vladimir Putin in violation of international law, the research areas of political psychology are highly topical. Among other things, political psychologists research the formation and impact of group identities as well as the influence of emotions, such as anger or fear, on political thought and action. Furthermore, political psychologists are also dedicated to researching the causes of political protest.

In order to discuss the latest findings in this field, Chemnitz University of Technology will host the digital Interdisciplinary Conference of the German Political Psychology Network from March 10 to 11, 2022. Arndt Leininger, PhD, holder of the Assistant Professorship of Political Science Research Methods, and Prof. Dr. Frank Asbrock, holder of the Professorship of Social Psychology at Chemnitz University of Technology, are leading the planning and organization. Asbrock is also a co-founder of the German Political Psychology Network, which supports cross-disciplinary networking in the research field of political psychology in Germany. Participation in the conference is free of charge and open to non-specialists. The deadline for registration is March 7, 2022.

The conference will bring together international experts to present and discuss their current research. Major topics of the sessions and workshops will include nationalism, identity, crisis, political polarization, and #gender.

One of two keynote speeches at the conference will be delivered by social psychologist Pia Lamberty, best known for her work on conspiracy narratives, who will speak on the topic of science communication. “The Covid 19 pandemic has once again shown the world the importance not only of scientific research, but also of successful science communication”, says Pia Lamberty, executive director at CeMAS—Center for Monitoring, Analysis and Strategy. “The best findings are of little use if they are not understood by the public. This is once again particularly evident when it comes to vaccination. That’s precisely why an exchange like the one taking place at this conference is so important”, Lamberty said. Her online keynote will take place at 1:15 p.m. on March 10.