For Professional Contributions to Political Psychology
Nevitt Sanford was deeply influenced by John Dewey, who imposed upon the scholar the obligation to put knowledge to work in the solution of social problems. Thus the ISPP was dear to his heart. Nevitt’s problem-centered approach to the generation of human knowledge involved not only perceiving but also doing or making, so his interests ranged widely through the disciplines, much like ISPP. His specialization was in personality theory and human problems, particularly the authoritarian personality and social destructiveness, higher education and adult development.
This award, set up in the honor of Nevitt Sanford, is to be given yearly to someone deemed by the committee to be 1) engaged in the practical application of political psychological principles, or 2) creating knowledge that is accessible and used by practitioners to make a positive difference in the way politics is carried out.
How to Nominate:
All nominations must include the following: A short paragraph explaining why she/he deserves the award and a CV of the nominee. To complete a nomination, simply send these materials to the Committee Chair by the deadline.
The award recipient will be strongly encouraged to attend the Annual Meeting and Awards Reception and may be asked to give a talk at the annual meeting the year after they receive the award, in recognition of their work in the field.
2026 Award Committee:
Chair: Katarzyna Jaśko (Uniwersytet Jagielloński)
Committee: Tereza Capelos (University of Southampton), Thomas Kessler (Friedrich Schiller University, Jena)
THE NOMINATION PROCESS FOR 2026 IS NOW OPEN. The deadline for nominations is 15 January 2026.
Winners will be notified by early April 2025.
First awarded in 1979.
2025 Nevitt Sanford Award for Outstanding Professional Contributions to Political Psychology
Eran Halperin, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
Past Winners
- 2024: Charis Psaltis; Research team composed of Larysa Zasiekina, Serhii Zasiekin, and Victor Kuperman
- 2023 Anna Kende
- 2022 Andreas Zick
- 2021 Michał Bilewicz
- 2020 Orla Muldoon
- 2019 Linda Tropp
- 2018 Kevin Durrheim
- 2017 Stephen Reicher and Alex Haslam
- 2016 Jon Krosnick
- 2015 Stanley Feldman
- 2014 Leonie Huddy
- 2013 Kristin Monroe
- 2012 Daniel Bar-Tal
- 2011 Ronald Fisher
- 2010 Peter Loewenberg
- 2009 Not Awarded
- 2008 Joe Montville
- 2007 Doris Graber
- 2006 Henk Dekker
- 2005 Helen Haste
- 2004 Martha Crenshaw
- 2003 Ervin Staub
- 2002 Jerrold Post
- 2001 Judith Torney-Purta
- 2000 Jansuz Reykowski
- 1999 Hal Saunders
- 1998 Elizabeth Lira Kornberg
- 1997 Phil Tetlock
- 1996 M. Kent Jennings
- 1995 Margaret G. Hermann
- 1994 Vamik D. Volkan
- 1993 Roberta Sigel
- 1992 Robert Jervis
- 1991 Richard Christie
- 1990 Irving L. Janis
- 1989 Ralf G. Dahrendorf
- 1988 Ole R. Holsti
- 1987 Ralph K. White
- 1986 Robert E. Lane
- 1985 Morton Deutsch
- 1984 Herb Kelman
- 1983 Gabriel Almond
- 1982 David Reismanv
- 1981 Hilda Himmelweit
- 1980 David Riesman
- 1979 Nevitt Sanford
