Group Dynamics Seminar Series
The Group Dynamics Seminar series is considered one of the longest running seminar series in the social sciences. It has been running uninterruptedly since it was founded by Kurt Lewin in the 1920’s in Berlin. A very important feature of this seminar today is its interdisciplinary nature. Recent seminars have included discussions in “Law and Psychology,” “Racism and Discrimination,” “Social Media,” and “New Directions in Social Psychology.”
Psychological Diversity across the Globe
Do our cultural contexts influence our psychology and behavior — and if so, how? In this RCGD series, we delve into the socio-ecological, histo-cultural, and economic dynamics shaping the diversity of selfhood and its associated cognitive, emotional, and motivational processes. We go beyond the traditional East and West focus to include a wide range of cultural groups. This series will elucidate the implications of psychological diversity across the globe for policies in international relations, politics, economics, business, immigration, and other relevant domains.
Organized by Shinobu Kitayama and Catherine Thomas
These events are typically held Mondays from 3:30 to 5. Check the listings for details!
In person: ISR Thompson 1430
As permissions allow, seminars are later posted to our YouTube playlist.

Shinobu Kitayama
University of Michigan
Beyond East and West: Does Culture Matter in Understanding the Human Mind?
Sept. 11, 2023

Kevin Carney
University of Michigan
The Psychology of Borrowing: Evidence from Kenyan Dairy Farmers
Sept. 18, 2023

Jackson G. Lu
MIT
The Bamboo Ceiling in US Business Schools: Who Receives Tenure and Becomes Dean?
Sept. 25, 2023

Ayşe K. Üskül
University of Sussex, UK
Patterns of Independence and Interdependence in Mediterranean Societies: Comparative and Within-Region Perspectives
Oct. 9, 2023

Thomas Talhelm
University of Chicago
The Rice Theory: Manspreading and What Happened When China Randomly Assigned People to Farm Rice and Wheat
Oct. 16, 2023

Michael Muthukrishna
London School of Economics
What does cultural evolutionary psychological and behavioral science look like?
Oct. 30, 2023

Vivian Dzokoto
Virginia Commonwealth University
Do you ever feel like a plastic bag? Emotion and Wellbeing in West African Selves
Nov. 6, 2023

Hazel Markus
Stanford University
Cultural Defaults in the Time of Coronavirus: Lessons for the Future
Nov. 13, 2023

Michele Gelfand
Stanford University
Cultural Evolutionary Mismatches to Collective Threat
Nov. 27, 2023

Catherine Thomas
University of Michigan
Culturally Wise Interventions and Their Effects on Psychosocial and Economic Well-Being
Dec. 4, 2023