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The ambition of the LEPS, in the years to come, will be to contribute to the redefinition of social psychology by closely associating an effort of theoretical reflexion necessary to overcome the fragmentation of the empirical studies and the search for a co-operation with the other disciplines to study the complex social phenomena.

The objectives of the LEPS can be summarized into three main points:

  • to support the emergence of invisible colleges: teams and networks of researchers decided to tie regular contacts around promising topics, connected, for the majority, with the problems, concerns and the transformations of the contemporary European societies, and to develop joint research ;

  • to stimulate the exchanges, by meetings, colloquiums, conferences and publications, so as to fight the insulation from which certain researchers in certain countries suffer, either because of the very small number of researchers on a topic, or because of a environment unfavorable to research ;

  • to allow the identification of the fields of research, in statu nascenti, whose study asks for the contest of extremely various competences, in a discipline which is itself situated at the border of several others, and not only of psychology and sociology, in order to adopt its methods with the new objects which it studies

 To this end, the LEPS is currently constituted by small international research groups, which works continuously on precise topics, and meet regularly to analyze their results, to work on their diffusion, and finally, to lead to publications.

These groups were centred more particularly, since 1992, out of two great fields of traditional social psychology: social representations and social influence.

In addition, the LEPS also collaborates in outside projects, while taking part in the scientific development of meetings, conferences and summer schools, by inviting researchers (participation in meetings and conferences, or invitations as associated professors), by supporting international meetings, even by granting punctual assistances to research projects.

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