This text has been translated from Norwegian with the assistance of GPT UiO.
“Psychology and the World” is the title of a new seminar series at the Department of Psychology, where Sigrun Marie Moss and her colleagues Guro Charlotte Teig Øiestad and Stephen Baffour Adjei invite guests from other fields to discuss both the role of psychology and that of other disciplines in an unsettled world.
At the event in May, they hosted Carl Henrik Knutsen, professor of political science. Knutsen is one of our foremost researchers on democracies and dictatorships, and everything in the grey areas in between.
The theme of the conversation was security and unpredictability during Trump's presidency, and how it affects the world. It led to an engaged dialogue between psychology and political science. The seminar was well attended (despite the sunshine outside), with the audience posing numerous questions to Knutsen about the current situation.
Can contribute to new approaches
– We initiated this series because we want to emphasise that the role of psychology in an uncertain world is far more extensive than many people attribute to it, explains Moss.
She is keen to highlight that the field can contribute to approaches that help us understand the significance of group identities, how leaders can influence these identities, which cognitive processes may lead to poorer decision-making, and how conflicts can escalate.
– Psychology can also illustrate ways to come together, promote shared identities, and foster solidarity. With the series “Psychology in the World”, we aim to showcase the more socially-oriented approaches within psychology.
– What do you hope to achieve with the series?
– Through interdisciplinary conversations, we wish to highlight the broader spectrum of psychological perspectives and facilitate dialogues about models of understanding and concepts that can be useful for navigating the world we live in and tackling contemporary crises, says Sigrun Marie Moss.
Russia and Putin next
The next seminar in the series will be held on 4 June from 15:15 to 16:30 in Forsamlinssalen at the Department of Psychology.
External guest will be Julie Wilhelmsen, who heads the Research Group for Russia, Asia, and International Trade at NUPI, the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs.
Read the article and listen to the podcast featuring Sigrun Marie Moss and Carl Henrik Knutsen: