The Social & Applied Psychology Group is one of the largest groups of social and applied social psychologists in the UK. It focuses its research activity around five major research themes:
Behaviour change: intervention, design and evaluation
Behaviour change is critical to affordable health services and sustainable energy use. Members of the group have developed new approaches to understanding the application of behaviour change techniques and applied these to health-related behaviours. Research in this area also includes transport mode choice, adoption of electric vehicles, minimizing energy used by computer technology, eating behaviour and exercise behaviour (Links: Richard De Visser, Paul Sparks, Donna Jessop, Helga Dittmar). This work provides a basis for postgraduate training in behaviour change and evidence-based consultancy to local authorities and industry.
Health Psychology
Members of the group are chartered health psychologists (Links: Paul Sparks) and research focuses on understanding the prevalence and determinants of health-related behaviours. These include alcohol consumption, smoking, exercise, eating, sexual behaviour and blood donation (Links: Richard De Visser, Paul Sparks, Donna Jessop). This research supports evidence-based consultancy, practice and training.
Identity, Culture and Well-being
Three broad strands of research are concerned with the interplay of cultural values, personal and social identity and well-being. There is a long-standing tradition of cross-cultural research in the group, reflected in current projects investigating how personal and social identities may be constructed differently in individualist and collectivist societies (Links: Viv Vignoles, Rupert Brown, Peter Smith) and how materialistic values (differently evident in different societies) are related to well-being (Links: Helga Dittmar, Rod Bond). A second line of work in this strand is concerned with how culturally transmitted images of ‘ideal’ body shapes and sizes impact on young people’s well-being and dissatisfaction with their own bodies and their eating behaviour (Links: Helga Dittmar, Rod Bond, Viv Vignoles). A third area of work concerns the role of identity processes in various contexts such as: in consumer behaviour, especially impulse buying and on-line shopping; in linking gender and health-related behaviour; and within and between teams (Links: Helga Dittmar, Karen Long, Richard De Visser).
Intergroup Relations and Collective Behaviour
There are two broad research areas under this heading. One is concerned with how individuals are affected by participation in crowd events (e.g., riots, social movements, mass emergencies and celebration crowds) (Links: John Drury). Here the concern is to understand how collective participation and identification can transform self and behaviour. The second line of work focuses on the origins of intergroup prejudice and effective means of reducing it (Links: Rupert Brown). Also studied are the role of emotion in intergroup settings, especially what part collective guilt and shame can play in generating more favourable intergroup attitudes, and reconciliation in post-conflict societies (Links: Rupert Brown, Viv Vignoles).
Pro-social and Moral Engagement
Here the focus is on prosocial motivation, prosocial behaviour and on the factors which lead people to take actions that impact positively on the well-being of others. For example, factors affecting donating (e.g., blood, organs), volunteering, citizenship, attitudes towards pro-environmental actions, activism and engagement in pro-community actions. Themes that permeate this research are concern for the welfare of others (at individual, community and global levels) and the boundary conditions for the translation of prosocial motives into positive action. (Links: Tom Farsides, Paul Sparks, Donna Jessop).
