The Social Issues Dissertation Award

The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues is proud to announce the Social Issues Dissertation Award, established to encourage excellence in socially relevant research.

ELIGIBILITY

Any doctoral dissertation in psychology (or in a social science with psychological subject matter) accepted between March 1st 2009 and March 1, 2010 is eligible. Please note that in the AWARD year (July 1 – June 30) an individual or group may only submit one paper to one SPSSI award (from amongst the Allport, Klineberg, and Dissertation Awards).

AWARDS

A first prize of $1000 and a second prize of $500 will be awarded to the dissertations that best demonstrate scientific excellence and potential application to social problems.

PAST WINNING PAPERS

Responsibility and Denial: Antecedents of Group-based Emotional Responses to Atrocities Committed by the Ingroup (2008, Sabina Cehajic); The Effects of Perceived Threat on Political Attitudes: Uncertainty, Lack of Control, and Closed-Mindedness (2008, Hulda Thorisdottir); Social Identity Threat and performance motivation: The interplay between ingroup and outgroup domains (2007, Belle Derks); Social-Psychological paths to protest; An integrative perspective (2007, Martijn van Zomeren); The role of compensatory stereotypes and attributions in system justification (2006, Aaron C. Kay); Welcome to the Neighborhood? Long-Term Impacts of Moving to Low-Poverty Neighborhoods on Poor Children's and Adolescents' Outcomes (2005, Rebecca C. Fauth); Neural Signs for the Detection of Race Bias: Implications for Individual Differences in Regulatory Ability (2004, David Amodio); Putting Pettigrew's reformulated Model to the Test: The Intergroup Contact Theory in Transition (2003, Anja Eller); Bailing and Jailing the Fast and Frugal Way: An Application of Social Judgment Theory and Simple Heuristics to English Magistrates’ Remand Decisions (2002, Mandeep K. Dhami); Status Differences In Selective Devaluing: Perceived Illegitimacy Moderates the Status Value Effect (2000, Toni Schmader); Children’s Static Versus Dynamic Conceptions of People: Their Impact on Intergroup Attitudes (1999, Sheri Levy).

The application should include:

A 500-word summary of the dissertation.  The summary should include title, rationale, methods, and results of dissertation, as well as its implications for social problems.  Please also include a cover sheet that states the title of your dissertation, your name, postal and e-mail addresses, phone number, and university granting the degree. 

HOW TO APPLY

APPLY ONLINE NOW!  Online applications are the preferred method.  Please limit the number and size of files uploaded when applying online. 

For hard copy submissions, mail the complete application to SPSSI, 208 "I" (Eye) St NE, Washington, DC 20002-4340. Attn: Social Issues Dissertation.

Previous Winners

DEADLINE

The deadline for this year is May 10, 2010. 

All applicants will be notified of their status by July 5, 2010. Finalists will be asked to provide:

i) certification by the dissertation advisor of the acceptance date of the dissertation; and

ii) a full electronic copy of the dissertation. 

The final decision will be announced by September 1, 2010.