Invitation
We would like to invite you to participate as a contributor in our next, Twenty-Eighth Annual Sydney Symposium of Social Psychology. This time the Symposium will be held in Europe, outside Budapest, in a 4* resort hotel in the romantic and historical small town of Visegrad on the banks of the Danube, Hungary, Monday – Friday, July 13 – 17. All local expenses (hotel, meals, excursions) will be covered for invited participants.These meetings are held every year on a different broad topic, and bring together leading international researchers covering a major topic in social psychology (see www.sydneysymposium.unsw.edu.au for details, programs, pictures of past symposia, etc. See also https://www.crcpress.com/Sydney-Symposium-of-Social-Psychology/book-series/TFSE00262 for information about our book series). The Sydney Symposia have a reputation of being among the most stimulating, enjoyable and fun small group conferences in our field - feel free to check with our past participants (click here for a list!). The topic of next year's symposium is
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF EXTREMISM
Aims and background. The conference seeks to bring together researchers who are interested in understanding the psychology of extremism – an issue of great topical importance at the current time when our liberal Western societies are going through a period of increasing conflict, uncertainty and animosity marked by escalating extremism on both ends of the political spectrum. Extremism is a serious issue and is more likely when social solidarity is undermined and when confidence in the reliability and predictability of the social order and our cultural and political institutions is compromised. Extremism has been a recurring feature of human societies throughout history, and its recent rise offers an outstanding opportunity to examine the evolutionary, social cognitive and cultural processes involved.
We hope to invite researchers working in any area of psychology relevant to understanding extremism, including areas of evolutionary, personality, cognitive, cultural, political and economic researchers who are interested in exploring the nature origins, functions, and psychological and cultural antecedents and consequences of extremism.
We believe that many substantive areas of psychology and related fields have an important contribution to make to understanding how and why humans become captive to extremist views and ideologies. As always with our Symposia the topic is broadly defined and we are interested in inviting contributions from a wide variety of empirical and theoretical backgrounds. Our meetings are well-known for the lively, engaging and entertaining small group discussions across disciplinary boundaries, with great presentations and an exciting social and cultural program in afantastic location.
Financial support. Given your important contribution to this field, we really hope that you will be able to accept our invitation to participate. As with all previous Sydney Symposia,
We will cover the total cost of accommodation and meals for invited participants for four days on a twin-share basis in our four-star resort hotel.
(Partners and family are also very welcome to attend but will incur a small extra cost. Single rooms are also available at a small extra charge).
The location. The Hotel Visegrad https://www.hotelvisegrad.hu/en/ is a four star resort hotel located near Budapest, on the banks of the Danube, in a spectacular and historic setting. The hotel has luxurious wellness facilities, and an outstanding restaurant. Visegrad was Hungary’s medieval capital in the 15th century and is the site of the remains of a renaissance palace and a fortress. The Symposium will also feature many exciting social activities and excursions free to invited participants, including a sunset cruise on the Danube, a Renaissance feast, castle visits, and excursion to neighbouring scenic and historical attractions in the Danube Bend area.
Publication. As in previous years, contributions to the Symposium will be published in a book form by Routledge / Psychology Press, New York. Invited contributions should be first authors on the paper, presenting an overview of a significant area of theory and empirical research relevant to understanding the processes of the psychology of extremism in all its forms (max. 6000 words, without references)
Your response. We very much hope that you will be able to accept our invitation; if so, please
1. Indicate by email your acceptance or rejection of our invitation in the next few days.
2. Please send us a title and abstract of your proposed paper within the week or so.
3. We would also like to receive a draft of your contribution by the middle of April, 2026.
Thank you for considering this, and we look forward to hearing from you!