Invited public lecture by the renowned Dutch psychologist Jan-Willem van Prooijen

Center of Social and Psychological Sciences SAS, v.v.i. is the organizer of an invited public lecture by the renowned Dutch psychologist Jan-Willem van Prooijen, which will take place on September 27, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. in the Slovak Center of Scientific and Technical Information in Bratislava.

Prof. Dr. Jan-Willem van Prooijen specializes in research on radicalization, extremism and conspiracy thinking. He is interested in the dark side of human beings, especially in the context of politics, law and society. His research has three main thematic pillars: conspiracy theories, unethical behavior, and radical ideologies. It addresses such questions as: Why do people believe in conspiracy theories, and what impact does belief in conspiracies have on solving serious social problems such as vaccination refusal, climate change denial, and populism? What are the psychological roots of corruption? Why do people radicalize and what are the consequences of extremist ideologies? The main topic of his lecture, which he will give in Bratislava, is the belief in conspiracy theories and extremism, and he will explain their negative consequences. Once established, conspiracy theories promote extremism and polarization by reducing people's willingness to follow rules and regulations, deteriorating the quality of their social relations, increasing intergroup conflict, and polarizing people's political beliefs. All of these processes can subsequently cause the apparent legitimacy of potential violence against other groups. Professor van Prooijen's lecture will be followed by a symposium consisting of four lectures by colleagues from the Slovak Academy of Sciences, followed by a panel discussion. Xenia Daniela Poslon and Barbara Lášticová from the Institute for Research in Social Communication, Dominik Želinský from the Institute of Sociology, Zuzana Panczová and Vladimír Bahna from the Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology, and Jakub Šrol and Vladimíra Čavojová from the Institute of Experimental Psychology CSPS SAS will speak at the symposium. The entire event will be held in English. It will start at 9:00 a.m. and is expected to end at 12:45 p.m. Those interested in attending the event in person are requested to register here. The lecture will also be live-streamed on the day of the lecture and will be available online at the conclusion of the event. All other details about the event and the individual lectures will be posted on our Facebook page.
LIVE STREAM LINK HERE