Professor Richard Crisp from our top-rated Psychology department has been honoured with the prestigious Leverhulme Trust Major Research Fellowship to develop a groundbreaking theory in social psychology.
The three-year fellowship, set to commence in September 2025, will support Professor Crisp’s innovative project - The Presumptuous Mind: A Predictive Processing Theory of Social Thought and Action.
The Leverhulme Trust Major Research Fellowships are among the highest accolades for scholars in the humanities and social sciences, providing a platform for researchers to focus on transformative ideas.
Professor Crisp’s research aims to advance understanding of predictive processing—a framework that highlights how perceptions are shaped by pre-existing knowledge.
“Perception is invariably the product of presumption: shaped by what we already know,” Professor Crisp explained.
The project seeks to reassess over 150 years of social psychological theory, revealing how this phenomenon influences enduring stereotypes, first impressions, and resistance to change.
By integrating insights from his interdisciplinary work, Professor Crisp plans to craft new strategies to tackle pressing social, environmental, and economic challenges.
Renowned for his prolific contributions, Professor Crisp has authored over 150 articles in prestigious journals like Science and American Psychologist.
His research has transformed understanding of diversity’s role in creativity and inspired thought leaders worldwide.
Notably, his studies on imagined intergroup contact have demonstrated that even indirect experiences can foster improved social relations, while his work on cognitive adaptation highlights how embracing diversity yields far-reaching benefits.
A recipient of the British Psychological Society President’s Award, Professor Crisp is also a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Applied Social Psychology.
Our Department of Psychology is ranked 74th in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024.
Visit our Psychology webpages for more information on our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
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