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8th Southern African Students’ Psychology Conference

8th Southern African Students’ Psychology Conference

by | Feb 18, 2025 | Psychology Events, PsySSA Announcements, PsySSA Congress, Student Division (SD)

PsySSA & UNISA ARE PROUD TO PRESENT:

8TH SOUTHERN AFRICAN STUDENTS’ PSYCHOLOGY CONFERENCE 

The Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA), in partnership with the University of South Africa (UNISA), is excited to invite students, researchers, and emerging scholars to the 8th Southern African Students’ Psychology Conference 2025. This exciting event provides a dynamic platform for students to showcase their research, engage in intellectual discourse, and connect with fellow psychology enthusiasts and professionals.

Conference Theme: Healing inter-and-transgenerational trauma: A Place for psychology in Africa’s future
Date: 8 – 10 July 2025
Venue: Kgorong building, Unisa Muckleneuk Campus, Pretoria, South Africa.

This conference aims to explore the psychological challenges faced by today’s youth, with a focus on the impacts of intragenerational trauma and pressing social issues, while emphasising psychology’s critical role in healing the trauma. The approach is to integrate both indigenous knowledge systems and western psychological perspectives. The conference aims to propose culturally relevant interventions to tackle the psychosocial impacts of past and ongoing inequalities. The focus will be on the current state of the field and looking ahead, examining the future of psychology in Africa and how it can evolve to foster healing and resilience in the generations to come.

Call For Abstracts Are Now Open!

We welcome submissions from undergraduate and postgraduate students across diverse psychology-related disciplines. Whether you have original research, case studies, or innovative theoretical contributions, this is your chance to contribute to meaningful discussions shaping the future of psychology.

Abstract submissions close on 15 April 2025.

 

Click Here To Submit Your Abstract
PsySSA’s Annual Psychology Congress 2025 – Abstract Submissions Now Open!

PsySSA’s Annual Psychology Congress 2025 – Abstract Submissions Now Open!

by | Jan 15, 2025 | Annual Psychology Congress 2025, Events and Announcements, Psychology Events, PsySSA Announcements, PsySSA Congress

PsySSA is excited to announce that abstract submissions for the Annual Psychology Congress 2025: ‘Psychology in Society & Society in Psychology” is officially open!

The Scientific Committee welcomes abstracts and proposals for symposia, oral papers, posters round-tables, and creative work. Abstracts addressing all fields of psychology and related areas will be considered.

Abstract submission opens on 15 January 2025 and closes on 24 March 2025.

PsySSA encourages you to be a part of this exciting event from 14-16 October 2025 at the Durban International Convention Centre (ICC), Durban, South Africa, and play an active role by contributing to the scientific programme, which promises stimulating presentations, robust debate and innovative ideas.

We look to your abstract submission for the #PsySSACongress2025

Click Here to View the Congress Call
Click Here to Submit Your Abstract
PsySSA Annual Psychology Congress 2025 – Congress Call

PsySSA Annual Psychology Congress 2025 – Congress Call

by | Dec 19, 2024 | Annual Psychology Congress 2025, Psychology Events, PsySSA Announcements, PsySSA Congress

2025 CONGRESS CALL

“Psychology in Society and Society in Psychology”

Considering psychology’s focus on human behaviour, cognition and emotion, it has a fundamental duty to enhance the mental wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities. This encompasses assessments, diagnosis and treatment of psychological problems that impact on the emotions, behaviours and cognitions of individuals as they function and relate to others in society. At the heart of psychology is the promotion of psychological wellbeing, social responsibility, social justice, and community empowerment. Inevitably, this means that psychology must make a positive impact on society since what happens in society must be relevant for teaching, practice and research in psychology. The Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA) is committed to the societal impact of psychology and titled the Annual South African Psychology Congress 2025: “Psychology in Society and Society in Psychology”.

Psychology in society involves the scientific study of how citizens’ thoughts, feelings and behaviours are influenced by fellow citizens as well as society’s leadership. Among the societal responsibilities are mutual respect and empathy and the celebration of all forms of diversity. Challenging discrimination and oppression should be a priority for psychology, considering the social justice and mental health imperatives. Additionally, the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence presents unique opportunities and challenges for psychology, particularly in understanding human-technology interaction and its implications for mental health and societal dynamics.

Society in psychology is understood as a network of social relationships, customs, and traditions that contribute to how people interact with each other and how they live their lives. This is reflective across disciplines such as education, politics, anthropology, economics, the healthcare disciplines, and others. The many social ills that exist in society, such as crime, gender and community-based violence, poverty, and the abuse and neglect of children are just some of the problems affecting the nation. Psychology must be geared to meet these social challenges if it intends to be socially and contextually relevant in promoting psychological wellbeing.

Against this background, the PsySSA Annual South African Psychology Congress 2025 will be hosted at the Durban ICC from 14 to 16 October 2025. The Congress Committee welcomes presentations that focus on the congress theme and general areas of relevance to psychology. Submissions of scholarly and practice-oriented presentations, research posters and symposia are invited. The congress will showcase how the discipline can make a positive societal impact in promoting individual and collective mental health and wellbeing.

PsySSA looks forward to receiving your submissions and to your participation in this important annual event.

Click Here To View The Congress Call
PsySSA’s 30th and PAPU’s 10th Anniversary Congress: Invited Address by Prof Jace Pillay

PsySSA’s 30th and PAPU’s 10th Anniversary Congress: Invited Address by Prof Jace Pillay

by | Oct 1, 2024 | 30th Anniversary Psychology Congress, Psychology Events, PsySSA Announcements, PsySSA Congress

Psychology disrupted by a social justice call for psychologists to promote agency and empowerment of disadvantaged and vulnerable people

The aim of this paper is to argue the disruption of psychology from a Western and Eurocentric viewpoint to a psychology that addresses the needs and aspirations of disadvantaged and vulnerable people. From a social justice perspective psychology cannot be business as usual preparing psychologists to think only about lucrative private practices. This negatively impacts on the role of psychologists to contribute to the agency and empowerment of disadvantaged and vulnerable people. Building on this premise I begin with a global conceptualisation of social justice and then zoom into the nature of social justice in South Africa. This is followed by an exploration of social justice within the discipline of psychology and how it would apply to the contexts of disadvantaged and vulnerable people. Then attention is drawn to a specific psychology category demonstrating systemic challenges that inhibit social justice practices in South Africa. Next, I discuss core psychology principles that must be embedded in the preparation of psychologists to make them advocates of social justice to empower disadvantaged and vulnerable people in local communities contributing to a better society. The paper encourages psychologists to think globally and act locally in addressing common problems across the globe.

About the Presenter

Prof Jace Pillay

Prof Jace Pillay is a registered educational and counselling psychologist and the South African Research Chair in Education and Care in Childhood in the Faculty of Education at the University of Johannesburg. In February 2024 he was appointed a UNESCO Chair in Mental Health and Psychological Support for Teachers and Learners in SA. His previous positions at UJ were the Head of the Department of Educational Psychology and Vice Dean in the Faculty of Education. Currently, he heads a research team focusing on the mental health of learners and teachers as well as psychosocial support in schools.  As an academic he has published more than 100 journal articles, book chapters and conference proceedings both nationally and internationally. Also, he has supervised numerous postgraduate students and Postdoctoral Research Fellows. Prof Pillay is a keynote and invited speaker in numerous international conferences and has several international research collaborations. In addition to his academic stature, he serves on the Professional Board for Psychology. Also, he serves on the National Steering Committee for Care and Support for Teaching and Learning and chairs the CETA Programme for the Department of Education.

PsySSA’s 30th and PAPU’s 10th Anniversary Congress: Documentary

PsySSA’s 30th and PAPU’s 10th Anniversary Congress: Documentary

by | Oct 1, 2024 | 30th Anniversary Psychology Congress, Psychology Events, PsySSA Announcements, PsySSA Congress

The Institute for Social and Health Sciences, University of South Africa &  Decolonising Psychology Division of the Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA)
Invite you to…

Where Olive Trees Weep offers a searing window into the struggles and resilience of the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation. It explores themes of loss, trauma, and the quest for justice.

PsySSA’s 30th and PAPU’s 10th Anniversary Congress

Date: Thursday, 10 October 2024

Time: 08h00 – 10h00 SAST

Venue: Emperors Palace, Venue 8