The mission of the University of Toronto Social-Personality Research Group (SPRG) is to further the understanding of phenomena, theories, and methods in social and personality psychology through research, discussion, and graduate student training.
Researchers in the Social Personality Research Group study the behavior of individuals and groups in social contexts. They share an interest in understanding why people behave the way they do in social situations, as well as how people think and feel about the broader social world. SPRG researchers investigate topics such as prejudice, discrimination, stereotyping, morality, self-identity, social identity, group behavior, intergroup interactions, prosocial behavior, and interpersonal relationships. Most research explores human behavior by investigating the interactions between intrapersonal processes (emotion, motivation, attitudes, belief systems) and social behavior (persuasion, communication, decision making, stereotyping, intergroup cooperation or conflict). Research in this area spans multiple levels of analysis, from the biological bases of social cognition and behavior to the larger cultural and social contexts in which people think, feel, and act. As such, SPRG researchers uses methods from neuroscience, cognitive science, physiology, and behavioral science to explore the proximate and ultimate causes of social phenomena.
SPRG convenes every Tuesday from 3:00PM – 4:00PM during the academic year of the University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies. Approximately 4 to 6 faculty members from across North America give invited talks at SPRG every year. During most meetings, SPRG graduate students give talks and receive feedback from the community as a part of graduate training.