What is Political Psychology?
Political psychology is a thriving field of social scientific inquiry, with roots in political science and psychology and connections to a range of other social sciences, including sociology, economics, communication, business, education, and many other fields. Political psychologists attempt to understand the psychological underpinnings, roots, and consequences of political behavior.
Some of this work enhances understanding of political phenomena by applying basic theories of cognitive processes and social relations that were originally developed outside of the domain of politics.
Other political psychology involves the development of completely new theory to provide psychological accounts of political phenomena.
Political psychology thus illuminates the dynamics of important real-world phenomena in ways that yield practically valuable information and also that enhance the development of basic theories of cognitive processes and social relations.
And all of this work helps us understand why political events unfold as they do.
SIPP
The Summer Institute in Political Psychology is a three-week intensive training program that introduces graduate students, faculty members, and professionals to the world of political psychology scholarship. The curriculum is designed to accomplish one preeminent goal: to produce skilled, creative, and effective scholarly researchers who will do more and better work in political psychology as the result of their attendance at SIPP.
At the Summer Institute, participants:
- attend lectures on core topics and recent research developments, delivered by world-renowned scholars.
- receive instruction in the most important research methods used in political psychology, such as survey research, laboratory experimentation, and content analysis.
- develop your own research ideas through personal interaction with peers and specialists.
- join the international network of political psychology scholars.
Lectures By Internationally-Recognized Experts
Morning and afternoon sessions will be devoted to two and a half hour lectures by faculty on core political psychology topics and recent research developments. Topics addressed during past summers include voting and elections, international relations, media and politics, foreign policy decision-making, public opinion formation, racism and prejudice, terrorism, bargaining and negotiation, social protest movements, group identity, political culture, and much more.
Discussion Groups and Interest Groups
Participants will meet daily in small groups to discuss lectures and assigned readings. The discussions will focus on applying the concepts and theories addressed in the lectures to general themes in political psychology, debating the merits of various approaches to political psychology that are raised in the lectures, and sharing participants' own research ideas and interests. Groups organized around common research interests will also meet to share ideas.
Socializing
Participants have many opportunities to take part in planned events and spontaneous social activities, which allow for sharing ideas and having fun. Staff and participants eat lunch together every day. Stanford University and the surrounding area offer an abundance of destinations for recreational activities. The charming downtown area of Palo Alto provides a wide variety of cafes, restaurants, bookstores and movie theaters in walking distance from the Stanford campus.
Certification
At the end of the Summer Institute, all participants receive a certificate indicating that they have completed coursework in Political Psychology.
Who Should Attend?
The Summer Institute primarily serves graduate students and qualified undergraduates in political science, psychology, sociology, and related social science disciplines. Government and private professionals in fields such as organizational behavior, international relations, and public communication are also welcome. Our maximum enrollment will be 60 participants.
The Director
The Summer Institute is directed by Dr. Jon Krosnick, who is the Frederic O. Glover Professor in Humanities and Social Sciences at Stanford. Author of four books and numerous journal articles and chapters, Dr. Krosnick received the Erik Erikson Early Career Award for Excellence and Creativity in the Field of Political Psychology from the International Society of Political Psychology. His political psychology research has explored topics such as how policy debates affect voters' candidate preferences, how the news media shape which national problems citizens think are most important for the nation and shape how citizens evaluate the President's job performance, how becoming very knowledgeable about and emotionally invested in a government policy issue affects people's political thinking and participation, how people's political views change as they move through the life-cycle from early adulthood to old age, and how the order of candidates' names on the ballot affect voting behavior. Dr. Krosnick also studies attitude formation and change processes and principles of optimal questionnaire design.
SIPP 2017 Fees
SIPP 2017 Participation Fees
Within one week of an applicant receiving his/her acceptance letter via email, he/she must email SIPP2017@gmail.com to state how he/she intends to make payments for the participation fee. Payments for SIPP can only be accepted via wire transfer, check, money order, or Paypal. Applicants will then receive an invoice for the total amount due, which includes instructional fees, room, and board for the three weeks on Stanford University?s campus.
From the invoice date, applicants must pay half of their total fees within 6 weeks in order to reserve their spot. The remainder of their balance will be due May 1, 2017.
For applicants accepted after May 1, 2017, 100% of their payment must be made within 3 weeks of acceptance.
For students who are enrolled full-time and paying tuition at a college or university during the spring of 2017 who will not have received the degree that they are pursuing at the end of that quarter/semester, the participation fee is $3,200. For participants who do not belong to this category, the participation fee is $4,800. For students enrolled full-time at Stanford University during the spring of 2017 who will not have received the degree that they are pursuing at the end of that quarter, the participation fee is reduced.
We do not offer any scholarships or financial assistance to SIPP attendees. International students are cautioned that there might be additional fees (such as visa fees) and expenses associated with participation in this program depending upon individual circumstances. Please make your summer plans carefully and investigate all aspects thoroughly in order to avoid unplanned expenses.
For more details about international travel to attend SIPP, please email the SIPP team at SIPP2017@gmail.com.
SIPP 2017 Housing and Meal Fees
All participants in SIPP are required to live on the Stanford campus. This year, housing will be in Stanford dorms.
Each participant will share a bedroom with one, two, or three other people of the same sex. Bathrooms will be shared with more people. Each large bathroom serves residents of multiple dorm rooms.
There is a possibility that Stanford may be able to secure a small number of bedrooms that would accommodate only one person per room. These rooms would be more expensive.
If you are interested in paying the higher fee to have a single bedroom all to yourself, please let us know by email. If we are able to offer you a single room, you may accept the offer or decline it at the time it is offered to you.
For people sharing a bedroom, the total cost of room and meals would be: $2,800.00.
For people in a bedroom by themselves, the total cost of room and meals would be: $3,200.00
The above prices include the cost of the room and of all meals. Meals for SIPP participants include breakfast, lunch, and dinner for all full days during SIPP. The first meal served in the dining hall will be breakfast on Monday, August 6. The last meal provided will be dinner on Friday, August 26.
Meals will be served in the dining room of a dorm and will included a wide selection of nutritious options.
Meal cards will be provided to participants at check-in and must be presented to the cashier at the dining hall at the time of each meal. Breakfast will be approximately at 8:00 AM; lunch will be approximately at12:00 PM; and dinner will be approximately at 6:00 PM (you will be told exact times for each meal at a later date).
Unused meals are forfeited and cannot be used at a later date.
No dining hall meal will be available to SIPP participants at the times of two SIPP special event meals (the opening dinner, the closing dinner).
Other Costs
You will be required to pay a fee of $200 fee if you lose the key to your dorm room or if you fail to turn the key at the end of your stay. To avoid this fee, you must follow the rules of key return: you must hand your key personally to an authorized member of the Stanford Housing Staff or put it in a designated key box at the conference front desk of your dorm).
You will be required to pay $15 if you lose your meal card.
Cancellation
Stanford reserves the right to cancel SIPP 2017 and refund all fees paid if an insufficient number of people apply to participate.
Application
To find the online application form go to "Further official information" below this announcement.
Within one week of an applicant receiving his/her acceptance letter via email, he/she must email SIPP2017@gmail.com to state how he/she intends to make payments for the participation fee. Payments for SIPP can only be accepted via wire transfer, check, money order, or Paypal. Applicants will then receive an invoice for the total amount due, which includes instructional fees, room, and board for the three weeks on Stanford University's campus.
From the invoice date, applicants must pay half of their total fees within 6 weeks in order to reserve their spot. The remainder of their balance will be due May 1, 2017.
For applicants accepted after May 1, 2017, 100% of their payment must be made within 3 weeks of acceptance.
For more information click "Further official information" below.