Social Psychology Group

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Research

Our Social Psychology Group is a dynamic hub for cutting-edge research and teaching, with a global reputation for excellence. Our academics conduct some of the most-cited and influential research in the field, have received prestigious editorial appointments, and hold numerous national and international awards. Our research encompasses a wide array of topics, addressing some of the most pressing social issues of our time.

Key Publications

We have a highly active research group, and frequently publish papers across all areas of social psychology in the most prestigious journals. Some key publications from the social psychology group in recent years include:

António, R., Guerra, R., Cameron, L., & Moleiro, C. (2023). Imagined and extended contact experiences and adolescent bystanders’ behavioral intentions in homophobic bullying episodes. Aggressive Behavior, 49, 110–126. https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.22059

Bagci, S., Turnuklu, A., Tercan, M., Cameron, L., & Turner, R. (2023). Have some confidence in contact: Self-efficacy beliefs among children moderate the associations between cross-group friendships and outgroup attitudes. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 53, 101–111. https://doi.org/10.1111/jasp.12929

Biddlestone, M., Green, R., Douglas, K., Azevedo, F., Robbie, S., & Cichocka, A. (2024). Reasons to believe: A systematic review and meta-analytic synthesis of the motives associated with conspiracy beliefs. Psychological Bulletin. DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/rxjqc

Douglas, K., & Sutton, R. M. (2024). The social psychology of conspiracy theories: Key insights and future challenges. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721417718261

Douglas, K., & Sutton, R. M. (2023). What are conspiracy theories? A definitional approach to their correlates, consequences and communication. Annual Review Of Psychology, 74, 271-298. doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-032420-031329

Everett, J.A.C. , Colombatto, C., …. & Crockett, M. (2021). Moral dilemmas and trust in leaders during a global health crisis. Nature human behaviour, 5(8), 1074-1088. DOI: 10.1038/s41562-021-01156-y.

Giner-Sorolla, R., Montoya, A. K., Reifman, A., Carpenter, T., Lewis, N. A., Jr., Aberson, C. L., Bostyn, D. H., Conrique, B. G., Ng, B. W., Schoemann, A. M., & Soderberg, C. (2024). Power to detect what? Considerations for planning and evaluating sample size. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 28(3), 276-301. https://doi.org/10.1177/1088868324122832

Hopkins-Doyle, A., Petterson, A. L., Leach, S., Zibell, H., Chobthamkit, P., Binti Abdul Rahim, S., … & Sutton, R. M. (2024). The misandry myth: An inaccurate stereotype about feminists’ attitudes toward men. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 48(1), 8-37. https://doi.org/10.1177/03616843231202708

Isiminger, A., & Giner-Sorolla, R. (2024). Willingness to use moral reframing: Support comes from perceived effectiveness, opposition comes from integrity concerns. Social Psychological Bulletin, 19, 1-28. https://doi.org/10.32872/spb.13053

Liu, D., & Giner-Sorolla, R. (2024). Bad people alert: The expression of disgust signals its target’s bad moral character. Collabra Psychology, 10 (1): 116193. https://doi.org/10.1525/collabra.116193

Myers, S. & Everett, J.A.C (2025). People expect artificial moral advisors to be more utilitarian and distrust utilitarian moral advisors. Cognition, 256, 106028. DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2024.106028

Palmer, S. B., Hitti, A., Abrams, D., Cameron, L., Sims, R. N., Woodward, B., & Killen, M. (2023). When to intervene and take a stand: Evaluating bystander roles in intergroup name-calling contexts. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 33(2), 252–269. https://doi.org/10.1002/casp.2675

Sengupta, N. K., Hammond, M. D., Deak, C. K., & Malhotra, R. S. (2024). Ambivalent Sexism and Tolerance of Violence Against Women in India. Psychological Science, DOI: 09567976241254312.

Spinner, L., Cameron, L., & Tenenbaum, H. R. (2022). Gender Stereotypes in Young Children’s Magazines. Mass Communication and Society, 26(1), 147–170. https://doi.org/10.1080/15205436.2022.2052902

Stoeber, J., Dhont, K., & Salmen, A. (2024). Individual differences in effective animal advocacy: Moderating effects of gender identity and speciesism. Anthrozoös, 37(3), 573-585. https://doi.org/10.1080/08927936.2024.2314389

Research Highlights

Here are some of the current research projects in the social psychology group:

Multidimensional Trust in Moral Machines

We use the latest theories and methods from moral psychology to understand when, why, and how we trust such moral machines – and whether such trust is even warranted in the first place.

CONSPIRACY-FX

CONSPIRACY-FX explores when and how conspiracy theories are influential, and the consequences of conspiracy theories for the persons who spread them, particularly politicians and other elites.

PSYPOL

PSYPOL is an interdisciplinary research unit, studying how public opinion on social policy develops and changes over time, and how it shapes society.

Centre for the Study of Group Processes

The Centre for the Study of Group Processes (CSGP) was founded in 1990 to consolidate the School’s excellent international reputation for social psychological research into group processes and intergroup relations.

SHARKLAB

SHARKLab is dedicated to the psychological study of human-animal relations and led by Dr Kristof Dhont, Our goal is to gain insights into the processes leading to prejudiced and compassionate attitudes and behaviours towards non-human animals.

Beyond School Gates

This project provided insight into the contribution that children can make to community integration and how this can be better supported in local policy landscapes.

Research Opportunities

We are always keen to hear from individuals who would like to join us. Post-doctoral opportunities and other research positions within the social psychology group are always advertised on the University of Kent’s vacancies page. 

We also welcome enquiries about funded post-doctoral fellowship schemes that we are keen to support. Some of the most popular schemes are described below.

To enquire about the possibility of applying for any of these schemes, please contact any member of our academic staff with relevant interests that overlap with your own, or contact our Director of Research, Karen Douglas.

You must:

  • have completed your PhD at a UK research organisation
  • have less than 12 months’ active postdoctoral experience (at full-time rate) measured from passing your viva voce to the competition closing date
  • Your proposal can be from a single discipline or a combination of disciplines, but social sciences must make up at least 50% of your fellowship activities
  • Duration of this award is up to one year full-time, or up to two years part-time

ESRC postdoctoral fellowships – UKRI

  • For those looking to return to a research career after a break
  • Fellowships combine a personalised retraining programme with a challenging research project
  • Flexible, usually lasting two years at 0.5 full-time equivalent, although some UKRI funders may award longer.

Daphne Jackson fellowship – UKRI

  • Apply within three years of getting your PhD
  • Up to 5 years of a full-time fellowship award, or longer part-time
  • Funds your salary and up to £400,000 for research expenses
  • Has to be within the Wellcome Trust’s remit of improving human life, health and wellbeing

Early-Career Awards – Funding for Early-Career Researchers | Wellcome

  • For international applicants coming to the UK
  • You should have a PhD degree at the time of the deadline for applications
  • Must have a maximum of eight years experience in research
  • Lasts 1-2 years, and covers a living allowance, a mobility allowance, plus research, training and networking activities

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

 

  • Apply within three years of getting your PhD

  • Provides a three-year full-time fellowship award

Postdoctoral Fellowships | The British Academy

Research Facilities

Our researchers in the social psychology group have access to a wide range of research facilities. For example, specialised equipment includes:

  • Group interaction and observation suites
  • Custom built biopac labs for electrophysiological recording (e.g., EMG, ECG, BP)
  • Active space virtual and augmented reality with high precision motion and eye tracking
  • State of the art eye tracking facilities
  • Brain Vision EEG/ERP labs
  • A range of software solutions for experimental research and online surveys

Researchers also have access to special populations (e.g., through the Kent Child Development Unit).