SIGN Seminar: Professors Brian Lickel and Emma Thomas

Brian is a professor from the University of Massachusetts in the United States. Brian's research examines adaptive and maladaptive responses to threat, particularly related to fears of terrorism and to environmental risks. 

During his presentation at the SIGN Seminar, Brian will review several decades of research on group-based or collective responsibility, including different forms of group-based responsibility, the emotions and responses people exhibit when their groups are considered blameworthy (group-based shame and guilt), and how people regulate their own behavior to not bring judgments of collective blame to their groups.  Brian will also conclude with some thoughts about how the application of group-based responsibility to sets of people can itself be a driver of group and identity formation.

Emma is a professor in the School of Psychology at Flinders University in Australia.

At the SIGN Seminar, Emma will be discussing the use of person-centred statistical approaches (e.g., latent profile analysis, latent growth mixture models) as a complement to variable-centred approaches in social psychological research on collective action. Emma will present research showing that the methods are useful in identifying and explaining sub-groups of people who seek to bring about change in qualitatively different ways, and will discuss how the methods are also useful for identifying and understanding variation in how people sustain, increase, or diminish their commitment over time.