The ISTP 2022 is going virtual! We will meet online during two consecutive weekends: May 27-28 & June 3-4, 2022.
We are calling for abstract submissions to develop an innovative conference program with creative session formats that will facilitate engaging, international dialogues! This year’s theme is Building Community: Theoretical Psychology in the Service of Social Issues. With this in mind, we seek contributions that will help explore various questions pertaining to what community engagement means and looks like in the current era, as well as how theoretical psychology in particular can play a role in building knowledge and research practices to address contemporary social issues (see details about the theme below). Our broader goal is to build community between scholars, students, community members, and others working on addressing pertinent social issues outside of the academic context. As always, we also welcome other contributions on topics related to theoretical psychology.
New this year!
Pre-recorded Keynote Sessions & Keynote Conversation Sessions
Check out our keynote speakers’ presentations on the conference website and consider engaging one of our speakers in further dialogue at the conference! How? Submit an abstract for a “keynote conversation” session, where you, the keynote speaker, and selected others can discuss ideas at the conference in front of a live audience — see submission guidelines below.
Community Engaged Sessions
Are you a scholar working in collaboration with community partners? We are inviting community partners (e.g., social workers, advocates, organizers, and others from non-academic settings) to join ISTP scholars to present their work at our conference! Presenting community partners will not be charged for registration fees.
Please see below for more details about other exciting session formats, as we intend to take full advantage of our virtual platform to foster new connections and rich dialogue!
Conference Theme
We have seen tremendous change in our communities due to COVID, and prior to this, over the last decade, we have seen social upheaval in the public sphere, motivated in part by the election of unexpected leaders and deeply divisive social issues. Observing increasingly hostile and unequal sociopolitical circumstances, social scientists around the world have been pressed to respond to social issues on the ground, working directly with local organizations, governments, and groups. Universities are fostering interdisciplinary collaborations and adopting ‘community-engaged’ agendas where researchers are asked to cultivate partnerships with the members of the community and so lead to productive outcomes. As a critical and interdisciplinary discipline, theoretical psychology has for decades served to question, explore, and develop conceptual and research tools needed to deepen understandings of human existence in shifting social contexts.
We invite contributions to theoretical psychology from all scholarly approaches exploring different issues in theoretical psychology, and especially submissions that explore the following questions:
Submission Types & Requirements
Keynote Conversations: These sessions will serve as ‘follow-up discussions’ to our keynote speakers’ pre-recorded presentations. Accepted presenters will engage with the keynote speaker in dialogue in front of a virtual audience. To complete your abstract submission, provide a brief account of what ideas/topics you wish to discuss with the keynote speaker and justification for your choice. You are also welcome to name others who may wish to join you in the conversation. Selected presenters will be introduced to each other before the conference to plan for the session as a group.
Community Engaged Sessions: These sessions are intended to bring together scholars with other professionals and community members to discuss their collaborative projects and help unpack how theoretical psychology can help address social issues relevant to various communities. Submissions should include at least one scholar and one community member (i.e., non-academic person who is involved in the work discussed). Presenting community members will not be charged conference registration fees.
Virtual Salons: The goal of the sessions is to capitalize on the virtual format of our conference by asking presenters to share pre-recorded videos of their presentations and then use the time at the conference to discuss the ideas presented. Submissions can include (a) individual, 20-minute, pre-recorded video presentations or (b) 50-minute, pre-recorded video group sessions (with 3-5 speakers). Pre-recorded videos will be posted on the conference website one month in advance of the conference for all registered attendees to view. Each virtual salon will involve 2-5 speakers. To make an individual, 20-minute submission, include a brief description of your planned presentation recording and, if relevant, include other speakers who may be interested in joining you in leading a virtual salon. For group submissions, include a description of the group presentation and planned format for the dialogue during the virtual salon. We are especially interested in salon topics pertaining to addressing pertinent global social issues (e.g., climate change, COVID, immigration, racism). Note: while all presenters will be required to upload pre-recorded, video presentations, they will also have the option to upload written papers to supplement their video recordings.
Creative Submissions: The goal of these sessions is to include non-traditional presentation formats, including visual art, music, poetry, theater, and other means to engage audience members in reflection on the conference theme and/or pertinent topics in theoretical psychology. Submissions can include pre-recorded works posted on the conference website in advance of the conference, so that time at the conference is used for discussion of the work. To make a submission, provide a description of your creative submission, how it relates to theoretical psychology, and whether you intend to share it before or during the conference meeting.
Workshops: These sessions aim to engage audience members in intensive discussions or activities aimed at learning more about a particular issue, methodology, or other application of ideas relevant to the conference theme or theoretical psychology more generally. We are especially interested in community engaged methodologies, practices, and analytical strategies that can help expand this work in theoretical psychology. To make a submission, provide a description of your session that includes your learning objectives and workshop structure/format.
Individual Presentations (with a twist): As always, we welcome individual presentations where speakers present their ideas to a live audience and have the opportunity to answer questions and engage in follow up discussion. Given the virtual format, presenters will have the chance to engage their audience in smaller group discussions via virtual breakout rooms. That said, because we are seeking to move away from traditional, didactic practices we encourage presenters to end their presentations with a twist — i.e., with a question, activity, or idea to facilitate further discussion among audience members. Thus, to make a submission, include a brief description of the presentation along with a concluding question, activity or other practice that will engage the audience.
Interactive Discussion/ Roundtables: Groups of 3-5 speakers are encouraged to collaborate on interactive, small group discussions in front of a live virtual audience. These submissions can take on more or less traditional group discussion formats, including informal discussion, roundtable, or symposia with discussants. To make a submission, provide a description of your session and specify the discussion format that you intend to follow during the conference.
Due to scheduling constraints, please submit no more than two submissions per person.
ISTP Equity Initiative: We recognize the global economic disparities that shape our attendees opportunities to participate in the conference. Accordingly, upon submission, applicants facing hardship will have the opportunity to request reduced registration fees.
Proposal Submission Information
Attention: In order to begin the submission process, you will need to create an account. Start by clicking on the Log In button at the top right and then click on Need to Create an Account. Enter your information, using the email address this link was sent to, and then log in to start the submission process.
We recommend typing the required information first into a word or google doc and save it in the event the text is lost in the submission process. From your saved document, the text can be copied and pasted into this submission form. If you are experiencing issues with uploading, please "reset" your browser or switch the browser that you are using. The best browsers are either Google Chrome or Firefox/Mozilla. Please do not use Internet Explorer.
Extended Deadline for Submissions!
Deadline is November 1, 2021 11:59 PM PT.
Questions? Contact Julie Vinson julie.vinson@csus.edu