Semester 2, 2019-2020
Type of courseMethodological and Practical Courses
DateJune 16, June 23 and June 30, 2020
LocationOnline, Microsoft Teams.
3 days
Maximum number of participants20
ECTS1.5 EC will be appointed for participation in the complete course
StaffNaomi Ellemers (UU)
Content, learning goals, preparation
News events develop rapidly, and raise novel questions that psychological scientists might address. What role can you play on the basis of your scientific insights and professional expertise? How can you prepare yourself to rapidly respond to questions from media, opportunities for research, or to comment on recent developments?
In this summer course students are offered the opportunity to develop skills that can help them apply their scientific insights and knowledge from their projects to inform and engage with current policy issues, relating to COVID-19. They work together in small groups on three types of assignments that they will present and discuss in the group.
1) Read a recent publication in Nature Human Behavior on how insights from the social and behavioral sciences are relevant to the COVID-19 crisis, as well as a critique arguing that psychological science isn’t ready to offer such insights. Think of a topic/insight/result (can be related to your own project) that is not yet represented here. With your group, write one page of text to explain which key insight or nuance could be added to the published paper. Present your idea in the joint session with one powerpoint slide max.
2) Check out preprints of psychological studies on COVID-19 through https://psyarxiv.com/. Check out recent calls from NWO/ERC for research proposals relating to COVID-19. With your group, design a new study that might be of interest to the current situation. Describe your research idea in two pages max, and submit this. Present your idea in the session on two powerpoint slides max.
3) Select a policy decision or problem relating to COVID-19 for which you might offer an alternative perspective, based on your knowledge of psychological theory and research. With your group, write this up in the form of an op-ed that could be submitted to a national newspaper, 400 words max. Submit your contribution ahead of the meeting and read submissions prepared by other groups to discuss these in the joint session.
Literature
- Publication in Nature Human Behavior on insights relevant to the COVID-19 crisis:
Bavel, J.J.V., Baicker, K., Boggio, P.S. et al. Using social and behavioural science to support COVID-19 pandemic response. Nat Hum Behav 4, 460–471 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-020-0884-z
https://www-nature-com.proxy.library.uu.nl/articles/s41562-020-0884-z
- Critique of attempts to offer insights based on psychological research:
https://psyarxiv.com/whds4
- Preprints of empirical studies relevant to COVID-19:
https://psyarxiv.com/discover?q=COVID-19
- Calls for research proposals relating to COVID-19:
https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/sc1-phe-coronavirus-2020-2c
- Information about funded projects, activities, and calls in Europe:
https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/covid-19