Social Psychology Section Workshop

How students fit in at university and why people listen to their hearts rather than their heads will be revealed at the British Psychological Society's Social Psychology Pre-Conference Workshop.

Other issues about how individuals think and act socially will also be explored during the event which is taking place at Imperial College, London, on Wednesday 14 April 2004, ahead of the Society's Annual Conference, which runs at the same venue from 15-17 April.

The organisers, Dr Roger Giner-Sorolla of the University of Kent and Dr Julie Christian of the University of Birmingham, have invited a roster of speakers representing many of Britain's most active research units in attitudes and group processes.

Among the topics being discussed during the one-day workshop are intergroup conflict, attitudes, social exclusion and social values.

Presentations being given will include research into decision-making by invited psychologists John-Mark Frost and Greg Maio of Cardiff University. They found that when faced with a moral dilemma, people will look at the personal relevance of a situation and whether they have to justify their actions before deciding whether to go with their hearts (principles) or their heads (thinking of the consequences).

Matthew Farr and Richard Crisp of the University of Birmingham will report the results of their study, which showed people used different techniques to integrate themselves into a newly formed group compared to a well-established group. The researchers' findings shed light on how people integrate themselves into new communities, for example, students arriving at a new university or immigrants in a new country.

While Anja Eller and Dominic Abrams of the University of Kent will present evidence to show that contact between members of different social groups reduces prejudice more effectively when relevant, as opposed to irrelevant, third groups are brought to mind.