Jennifer Sheehy-Skeffington

Associate Professor of Social Psychology
London School of Economics and Political Science

I am a social psychologist interested in the mechanisms underlying our human sensitivity to power, status, and group membership: their origins, interactions, and manifestation in societal context.

Twitter: @jsskeffington

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Current Positions

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

Dept of Psychological and Behavioural Science, London School of Economics & Political Science

VISITING ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

Psychology Program, Division of Science, New York University Abu Dhabi

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

British Journal of Psychology, European Journal of Social Psychology

Visiting Researcher

Dept of Psychology, University of Oslo; Dept of Political Science & Govt, Aarhus University

ASSOCIATE

LSE International Inequalities Institute; Community Engagement Centre, Indus Health Network

cAREER BREAKS

December 2016 - June 2017 Maternity Leave; February 2019 - August 2019 Maternity Leave; March 2020 - June 2020 Extraordinary Parental Leave (Covid-19 pandemic lockdown)

Download CV (January 2024)

Education

PhD in Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA

2014

Committee: Jim Sidanius (adviser), Mahzarin Banaji, Steven Pinker, Jennifer Hochschild.
Dissertation: Society in Mind: The manifestation of intergroup and societal status differences in social, cognitive, and regulatory domains.
Dissertation awarded the Harvard University 2014-2015 Richard J. Herrnstein Prize for 'excellent scholarship, originality and breadth of thought, and a commitment to intellectual independence'.
MA in Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA

2012

MSc in Social Psychology, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK

2006

BA(Hons) in Psychology & Philosophy, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

2003

Grants & Awards

Research Grant (Academic Collaboration with Arab Universities Programme), Emirates Foundation (2020-2023, PI; Co-PIs PJ Henry, NYU-Abu Dhabi, & Christian Haerpfer, UAEU).

Research Grant (Conference on Inequality & Decision-Making), The Tobin Project (2016)

Research Grant (Evidence Review on Poverty & Decision-Making), The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2016)

Research Visibility Award, Institute for Environment, Health & Societies,  Brunel University (2015)

Honourable Mention, Dissertation Award, International Society of Political Psychology (2015)

Richard J. Herrnstein Dissertation Prize, Harvard University (2015)

Postdoctoral Fellowship, British Academy for the Humanities & Social Sciences (2015-2017) 

Postdoctoral Fellowship, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo (2014)

Graduate Student Travel Award, Society for Personality and Social Psychology (2014)

Graduate Student Fellowship, Forum on Democracy & Markets, The Tobin Project (2013-2014)

Graduate Student Award, Harvard University Interfaculty Initiative in Mind, Brain, & Behaviour (2013)

Harvard University Certificate of Distinction in Teaching (2013)

Nominee, Star Family Prize for Excellence in Advising, Harvard College (2013, 2014)

Dissertation Completion Fellowship, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University (2013-2014)

Summer Conference Grant, Graduate Student Council, Harvard University (2012)

Norman Henry Anderson Graduate Psychology Fund Research Grant, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University (2011, 2012

Doctoral Fellowship, Multidisciplinary Program in Inequality & Social Policy, Harvard University (National Science Foundation & Harvard Kennedy School of Government, 2011-2014)

Edmond J. Safra Lab Fellowship (non-residential), Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, Harvard Law School (Prof. Lawrence Lessig’s Lab Project on Institutional Corruption, 2010-2011)

Norman Henry Anderson Graduate Psychology Fund PhD Scholarship, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University (2009-2011)

Stimson Fund Research Grant, Department of Psychology, Harvard University (2010)

Fellowship Supplement, Center for Human Values, Princeton University (2009, declined) 

Hilde T. Himmelweit Prize for Highest MSc Grade, LSE (2006)

Socrates Grant for Study Abroad, European Union (2002)

Entrance Exhibition Scholarship, Trinity College Dublin (1999, 2000)

Teaching & Advising

Course Head, Psychology Program, New York University Abu Dhabi

2023-

Social Psychology (undergraduate elective)
Introduction to Psychology (undergraduate core course)
Course Head, Department of Psychological & Behavioural Science, London School of Economics and Political Science

2020-

Political Psychology: Inequality and Intergroup Relations (MSc elective)
Instructor & Seminar Leader, Department of Psychological & Behavioural Science, London School of Economics and Political Science

2016-

Social Psychology of Communication (MSc core course)
Contemporary Social & Cultural Psychology (MSc core course)
Course Head, Department of Psychological & Behavioural Science, London School of Economics and Political Science

2016

-2020

Health Communication (MSc elective)
Visiting Faculty, Department of Community Health Sciences, Agha Khan University

2015

Psychological Consequences of Poverty in Community Health Contexts (continuing education short course)
Instructor, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo

2014

Social Psychology Project (MSc research methods)
Research Superviser, Sidanius Intergroup Relations Lab, Harvard University

2010

-2014

Sophomore Adviser, John Winthrop House, Harvard College

2012

-2014

Teaching Fellow, Department of Psychology, Harvard University

2013

Multivariate Analysis in Psychology (PhD core course led by Jim Sidanius)
Teaching Fellow, Department of Psychology, Harvard University

2012

Psychological Science (undergraduate core course led by Dan Gilbert)
Concentration Adviser, Department of Psychology & Lowell House, Harvard College

2011

-2012

Teaching Assistant, Irish Centre for Talented Youth, Dublin City University, Ireland

2002

-2005

Policy & Consulting Experience

Expert Contributor, The Fairness Foundation

2022-

Present

Steering Group, Psychology of Social Class - UK Policy Implications (POSCUPI), British Psychological Society

2021-

Present

Poverty Expert Reference Group, British Psychological Society

2020-

2021

Steering Group, Media & Social Norms Collaborator

2017-

2020

Research Steering Group, Syria Peace Education Project, International Alert

2015-

2016

Senior Strategic Analyst, Defence Science & Technology Laboratory, Ministry of Defence, UK

2007-

2009

Policy Intern, Women for Women International, London, UK

2007

Researcher, HOST UK, London, UK

2006-

2007

Research Intern, The Constitution Unit, Dept of Political Science, University College London, UK

2006

Social Science Researcher, Embassy of the Replubic of Korea, Dublin, Ireland

2005

Invited Talks

Invited Speaker , Online Panel on "Populism and Electoral Politics Around the World", European Center for Populism Studies

October

2023

Keynote Speaker, European Consortium for Sociological Research thematic conference on “Effort and Social Inequality”, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

June

2023

Invited Speaker, British Psychological Society Seminar on “Psychology of Social Class – Troubling ‘Employability’”, Aberystwyth University, Wales

May

2023

Colloquium Speaker, Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation, University of Chicago

March

2023

Seminar Series, Laboratoire de Psychologie Sociale et Cognitive (LAPSCO), University of Clermont-Auvergne

March

2023

Colloquium Speaker, College of Humanities & Social Sciences, United Arab Emirates University

Feb

2023

Keynote Speaker, International Conference of the Centre for the Experimental Philosophical Study of Discrimination, Aarhus University

Oct

2022

Seminar Series, Centre for Social Norms and Behavioural Dynamics, U Penn

April

2022

Social Lunch, Department of Psychology, Harvard University

March

2022

An Idea of Equality for Troubled Times, International Inequalities Institute, LSE

February

2022

Research Seminar, Institute for Advanced Study, Toulouse

March

2021

Changemakers Speaker Series, Dept of Psychology & Language Sciences, UCL

Sept

2020

Psychology Seminar, Northumbria University

July

2020

10th International Symposium on Biology of Decision-making, Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris

May

2020

Social Psychology Colloquium, University of Amsterdam

March

2020

Keynote Lecture, PIREN retreat, Institute for Advanced Study, Toulouse

January

2020

Centre for Culture & Evolution Seminar Series, Brunel University

January

2020

Political Cognition Seminar, University College London

August

2019

Psychology Society, University College London

December

2018

Behavioural Economics Society, London School of Economics & Political Science

December

2018

Student-led Seminar Series, Department of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London

March

2018

Applying Behavioural Economics Within Organisations, Said Business School (Harvard Business School behavioural insights immersive field course), University of Oxford

January

2018

Keynote Lecture, Irish Policy, Economics, & Psychology Conference, UCD

December

2017

Who Belongs?, The Wonder Foundation

November

2017

Research Dialogue, Department of Media & Communications, LSE

November

2017

Political Behaviour Seminar, Department of Government, LSE

November

2016

Evolutionary Demography Group, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

November

2016

Social. Environmental, and Organisational Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Exeter

October

2016

The Psychology of Equality, Security & Human Rights, SPSSI - UK

July

2016

Perceptions of Inequality: An Interdisciplinary Dialogue, TORCH, University of Oxford

June

2016

Psychology Research Talk, New York University - Abu Dhabi

April

2016

Psychology Department Research Seminar, University of Kent

February

2016

Designing a Better Organization, London Business School & Harvard Business School (postgraduate behavioural insights course)

January

2016

Psychology Seminar, Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth

November

2015

Contemporary Social Psychology (guest lecture on intergroup relations and power), London School of Economics

November

2015

International Academy for Intercultural Research, 9th Biennial Conference, University of Bergen

June

2015

Evolutionary Psychology (guest lecture on evolutionary political psychology), Brunel University

March

2015

Psychology Seminar, Department of Life Sciences, Brunel University

February

2015

Conference on Behavioural Economics in International Development, Association for Development Economics Research Funding (KfW), Montabaur, Germany

January

2015

Wednesday Education Sessions, Department of Psychiatry, Agha Khan University

October

2014

Work in Progress Forum, Department of Community Health Sciences, Agha Khan University

October

2014

Social Psychology Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo

September

2014

Graduate Proseminar, Department of African & African American Studies, Harvard University

February

2014

Graduate Forum on Democracy & Markets, The Tobin Project

February

2014

Centre for Global Health, Trinity College Dublin

January

2014

Behavioural Insights Team (Nudge Unit), UK Cabinet Office

June

2013

Graduate Proseminar, Department of African & African American Studies, Harvard University

February

2013

Working Group in Political Psychology, Department of Government, Harvard University

November

2012

Intergroup Relations Lab, Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles

October

2012

Human Factors Branch, UK Ministry of Defence

June

2012

Social Psychology Research Workshop, Department of Psychology, Harvard University

April

2012

Decision-Making Workshop, Harvard Decision Science Laboratory, Harvard University

February

2012

Political Psychology & Behaviour Workshop, Department of Government, Harvard University

February

2012

Strategic Analysis Group, Defence Science & Technology Laboratory, UK Ministry of Defence

June

2011

Project in Psychiatry and the Law, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital & Harvard Law School

May

2011

Social Psychology Research Workshop, Department of Psychology, Harvard University

April

2010

Introductory Psychology (guest lecture on evolutionary psychology), Dorset College Dublin

March

2005