Our 2026 Annual Meeting is will be held 16-19 July 2026 in Newcastle, United Kingdom at the University of Newcastle (campus located at Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, United Kingdom).
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CALL FOR PAPERS / CONFERENCE THEME / KEYNOTES / SUBMISSION
Conference Theme: Finding Common Grounds in Uncertain Times
President: Joanne Miller (University of Delaware, USA)
Program Co-chairs: Rosario Aguilar (Newcastle University, UK), Ka-Ming (Bo) Chan (Newcastle University, UK), Aleksander Ksiazkiewicz (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, US)
The International Society of Political Psychology (ISPP) invites scholars from a broad range of disciplines—political science, psychology, sociology, economics, anthropology, media and communication, gender studies, and beyond—to submit proposals for the 2026 Annual Meeting. Under the theme Finding Common Ground in Uncertain Times, we seek innovative research that illuminates how political psychology can help bridge divides and foster collaboration across diverse societies.
Communities face unprecedented challenges across the globe—from escalating political polarization, climate crises, and public-health emergencies to rapid technological change and the spread of misinformation. These “uncertain times” test our capacity to engage constructively, negotiate conflict, and sustain pluralistic democratic norms. Political psychology, with its tools for understanding identity, cognition, emotion, and group dynamics, is uniquely poised to diagnose these fractures and design pathways toward shared understanding. We particularly welcome submissions that address topics such as (but not limited to):
- Intergroup trust & dialogue: Psychological foundations of trust-building, empathy, and perspective-taking across ideological, ethnic, and national boundaries.
- Polarization & persuasion: Cognitive and affective mechanisms underlying political persuasion, echo chambers, and strategies for depolarization.
- Collective resilience: How social identities and collective narratives contribute to communities’ ability to adapt to crises (e.g., pandemics, climate disasters).
- Deliberative & collaborative governance: Psychological processes that support meaningful citizen participation, consensus-building, and integrative policymaking.
- Leadership & mobilization: Motivations, messaging, and behavioral dynamics of leaders, activists, and social movements seeking to either bridge or deepen societal divides.
- Digital media & discourse: The role of social platforms, algorithms, online networks and other in shaping political attitudes, norms of civility, and opportunities for constructive engagement.
We are excited to announce the addition of the following section for the Newcastle Conference:
Critical Political Psychological Approaches to the Study of Violence and Oppression. The aim of this section is to feature political psychological approaches that examine the ways power, identity, ideology, and affect shape individual and collective experiences of violence by interrogating dominant narratives, exposing structural injustices, and exploring the political psychological impacts of oppression, resistance, and state or institutionalized violence. In keeping with the conference theme, Finding Common Ground in Uncertain Times, we especially encourage submissions that foster transformative insights into the conditions that sustain violence and address the possibilities for shared understanding and meaningful change.
We also invite proposals for a virtual “conference within a conference” to be held during the first day of the in person conference.
All scholars—whether longstanding ISPP members or newcomers to the field—are encouraged to participate and contribute their unique perspectives. We invite theoretical, empirical, and methodological contributions—qualitative, quantitative, experimental, computational, and mixed methods alike. Interdisciplinary, comparative, and policy-oriented work is highly encouraged. All types of submissions (proposals for individual papers, panels, roundtables, and posters) on any topic in political psychology are equally welcome. We encourage the inclusion of discussants for panel proposals.
The conference will offer participants the opportunity to learn from, and interact with, distinguished keynote speakers addressing psychological processes at the interface of nationhood, social identity, and democratic practice. Per longtime ISPP practice, there will be an opportunity to attend a panel discussion with the editors of the Society’s flagship journals, Political Psychology and Advances in Political Psychology. We will also offer mentoring events, networking opportunities for early-career scholars, the Scholars Under Threat Symposium, and prior to the conference, the ISPP Academy.
PROGRAM COMMITTEE
Dr. Rosario Aguilar, Senior Lecturer, Comparative Politics, Newcastle University, UK. Program Chair.
Dr. Ka-Ming (Bo) Chan, Lecturer, Comparative Politics, Newcastle University, UK. Program Chair
Dr. Aleksander Ksiazkiewicz, Associate Professor, Political Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, US. Program Chair.
Dr. Joanne M. Miller, Professor, Department of Political Science and International Relations, University of Delaware, USA. ISPP President.
SECTION CHAIRS
- Conference Theme (Finding Common Ground in Uncertain Times)| Cara Wong, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Mateo Villamizar Chaparro, Catholic University of Uruguay
- Conflict, Violence, and Terrorism | Mengyao Li, Queen’s University Blefast; Slieman Halabi, University of Wuppertal
- Intergroup Relations | Aya Adra, University Pompeu Fabra; Thomas Nelson, Ohio State University
- Leadership and Political Personality | Megan Remmel, Bradley University
- Political Behavior, Participation, and Civic Engagement | Mollie Cohen, Purdue University; Mathilde van Ditmars, University of Milan
- Public Opinion and Political Communication | Sebastian Popa, Newcastle University; Brian Boyle, Newcastle University
- Political Culture, Identity, and Language | Kristin Lunz Trujilo, Boston College
- Social Inequality, Social Change, and Civic Development | Silvia Galdi, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitell
- International Relations, Globalization, and Macropolitical Issues | Marina Duque, Newcastle University; Ronan Tse-Min Fu, Academia Sinica
- Biology, Genetics, and Neuroscience | Hannah Nam, Brooklyn College
- Race, Gender, Ethnicity, and Religion | Rongbo Jin, Chinese University of Hong Kong Shenzhen
- New Theoretical and Methodological Developments | Luca Bernardi, The University of Liverpool; Maarja Lühiste, Newcastle University
- Virtual (This option is intended to accommodate individuals who are unable to attend the 2026 conference in person). | Laura Taylor, University College Dublin (ISPP VP of Conferences)
- Critical Political Psychological Approaches to the Study of Violence and Oppression | Elif Sandal Öndal, Bielefeld University; Mete Sefa Uysal, University of Exeter
PROGRAM
KEYNOTES
TBA
COPYRIGHTED MATERIALS NOTICE
POSTERS
VISA INFORMATION
2026 REGISTRATION
LODGING
ISPP MENTORING LUNCHEON
ISPP ACADEMY
EARLY CAREER SCHOLAR TRAVEL GRANTS
*DISCLAIMER: ISPP does not guarantee the validity or accuracy of data and statements presented during its Annual Meeting. Data and materials are prepared independently by those presenting their work and it is incumbent upon individual scholars to retract, update, and correct their content, or issue notices of such errors accordingly. ISPP disclaims any responsibility for any such errors.
*ISPP’s events provide learning, sharing ideas, knowledge, engagement, and we provide a welcoming environment for all. All sessions are monitored and harassment, intimidation, or inappropriate behavior of any kind toward any one participant or a group will not be tolerated. All attendees should behave professionally. ISPP reserves the right to deny registration or to remove an ISPP conference attendee at any time for reasons, in its sole discretion, it deems sufficient. Please click HERE to view ISPP’s Code of Conduct, applicable to all members and conference attendees.
