The Abstracts of the 33rd Annual Meeting of the Society of Australasian Social Psychologists

Abstract

The 33rd Annual meeting of the Society of Australasian Social Psychologists (SASP) was held between 15th and 18th of April 2004, hosted by The University of Auckland. The first day of the conference took place at Waipapa Marae at The University of Auckland, and the remaining three days took place at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Auckland. The conference was very well attended, with a large number of international delegates, and included a diverse range of presentations covering almost all areas of social psychology. The conference abstracts published here showcase the contemporary cutting edge of social psychology in Australasia and beyond, and demonstrate the rich diversity of the field of social psychology. This diversity is represented in the topics that people presented on, including prejudice and racism, refugees and asylum seekers, violence, sex and sexuality, interpersonal relationships, environmental sustainability, genetic testing, Maori social psychology, employment, social identity, intergroup relations, and social activism. This diversity is also represented in a wide range of theoretical approaches to social psychology evident in the presentations: from more ‘mainstream’ social psychology approaches to those characterised as ‘critical social psychology’. The SASP annual meeting thus continues to offer a forum for the exchange of new and exciting research approaches, topics and theories. The conference organisers would like to acknowledge the generous sponsorship of the conference, by The Royal Society of New Zealand, with funding provided from their International Science & Technology Linkages Fund, QSR International, The Psychology Press, Arnold Journals, Wiley, Corporate Express, Astra Copy, Matua, and last, but certainly not least, the Department of Psychology at The University of Auckland. I personally would also like to thank all members of the organising committee, the student helpers at the conference, and the Department of Psychology. Without their invaluable contributions, the conference could never have been the success it was!