BPS Social Psychology Annual Conference
Yuze Shi
I am grateful to the EMH Conference Bursary programme, which enabled me to attend the 2025 British Psychological Society Social Psychology Conference, held at the University of Oxford. Around this year's topic, "social minds in a changing world", this conference gathered researchers from the UK and abroad to present, discuss, and reflect on how individuals, groups, and societies adapt, influence, and are influenced by the evolving contexts we are living in.
A great portion of this conference focused on emotion and social behaviour. Several sessions explored the role of emotion in group interaction, communication, and social judgment, ranging from interpersonal emotion convergence and empathy mechanisms to the social functions of emotional expression—illustrating how emotions shape understanding and coordination between people. At the same time, topics such as prosocial behaviour, social identity, and social connection also received considerable attention, with researchers presenting diverse ways and mechanisms through which individuals help, cooperate, and respond to others across different social contexts. Some sessions further addressed methodological and epistemological reflections, discussing issues of methodological pluralism and replication, highlighting the field’s ongoing effort to renew itself both theoretically and empirically.
Besides inspiring presentations and keynotes, I also had the opportunity to engage with other researchers about their presented work, particularly regarding experience sampling methodology (ESM), prosociality, and emotional dynamics in social contexts. These discussions provided valuable insights for refining my conceptual understanding of social interactions and methodological approaches to studying them.
Overall, attending the 2025 BPS Social Psychology Conference substantially expanded my academic perspectives, which contribute to my current research project and future career in mental health. I am sincerely thankful to the EMH Conference Bursary programme for supporting this opportunity.
Yuze Shi is a PhD student in Clinical Psychology at School of Health in Social Science, The University of Edinburgh whose research focuses on interpersonal risk and resilience mechanisms involved in the development, adaptation, and recovery processes of mental health difficulties. You can find him on X @shiyz_ClinPsy and Instagram @shiyz_clinpsy.