Don't panic! Social psychology & the COVID-19 pandemic with Dr Chris Cocking

Don't panic! Social psychology & the COVID-19 pandemic with Dr Chris Cocking - hybrid event (Live and Zoom) on Wednesday 13th April at 8:00pm.
Please note that this event will be live at the Latest Musicbar and streamed on Zoom for those who cannot attend.

Chris will explore the role that his area of Social Psychology has played in the COVID-19 pandemic. His original research looked at the psychology of mass emergency behaviour and found that, rather than causing selfish and/or irrational ‘panic’, emergencies are more likely to bring people closer together, as a shared sense of adversity (‘we’re all in this together’) can create a common identity that encourages co-operative behaviour. This research has since been applied to the COVID-19 pandemic to explore how we can best encourage more protective behaviours to limit infection transmission and protect the vulnerable.

Dr Chris Cocking is a Principal Lecturer at the University of Brighton, with an interest in crowd behaviour during emergencies and pandemics. Chris has worked in the crowd management sector, advises on emergency planning, and has been a visiting speaker at the Cabinet Office Emergency Planning College. Other consultations he has provided have been for the London Resilience Team and the Greater London Assembly. He has been published in over 50 journals and user reports, including a case study by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction Scientific and Technical Advisory Group, an impact study by the British Psychological Society. He is regularly asked to speak about his research to the media and contributes to debates about public behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic. He is also registered on the UK government’s COVID-19 Expert Database and has submitted evidence to UK Parliamentary Select Committee investigations into the pandemic.

Join us live: Doors open 7:30. Talk starts at 8:00.
Online: RSVP to receive the Zoom link. Plenty of opportunities for questions and answers.