Past Conferences

The VSPA has a proud tradition of organizing international scientific conferences annually. Different topics have been the focus of attention. Here is an overview of the speakers at past conferences.

PSYCHOLOGY OF RELIGION April 27th and 28th 2010

Prof. Dr. Jacob van Belzen (chairman), professor Psychology of Religion, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
Dr. Justin Barrett, Senior Researcher at Oxford's Centre for Anthropology and Mind in the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, UK
Prof. Dr. Jozef Corveleyn (leader panel discussion day 1), full professor Clinical Psychology, Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium & Free University Amsterdam, Netherlands
Dr. Hans Dooremalen, philosopher, psychology department Universiteit of Amsterdam and Free University, Netherlands
Prof. Dr. Antoon Geels, center of theology and science of religion, Lunds University, Sweden
Ph.D. Peter Hill, professor of psychology Rosemead school of Psychology, CA, USA
Ph.D. Ralph W. Hood Jr, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, USA
Dr. Ulrike Popp-Baier, associate professor Psychology of Religion, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
Dr. Joke van Saane, Free University Amsterdam, Netherlands
Prof. Vassilis Saroglou, professor of psychology of religion at the Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium
Ph.D. Edward Shafranske, professor of psychology and PsyD Program Director, Pepperdine University, CA, USA

AUTISM November 19th and 20th 2008

Prof. Dr. Ina van Berckelaer-Onnes, professor emeritus of Leiden University
Prof. Dr. Stuart Shanker, Director of York University's Milton and Ethel Harris Research Initiative (MEHRI)
Prof. Dr. David Skuse, University College London
Prof. Dr. Chantal Kemner, Utrecht Medical Center
Prof. Dr. Stephen Porges, Director of the Brain-Body Center of the University of Illinois at Chicago
Dr. Hilde Geurts, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
Dr. Lindsay Oberman, University of California, San Diego
Dr. Emese Nagy, University of Dundee
Mr. Kamran Nazeer, author of "Send in the Idiots"

Chairman of the conference will be Prof. Dr. Maurits van der Molen, professor and program chair in Developmental Psychology at the University of Amsterdam, Netherlands.

SEX & LOVE June 6th and 7th 2007

Prof. Dr. Walter Everaerd, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
Prof. Martie Haselton, University of California,California ,Los Angeles, United States
Dr. Gert Hekma, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
Prof. Dr. Gert Holstege, University of Groningen, Netherlands
Dr. Ellen Laan, Academic Medical Center of the University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
Prof. Bill Marshall, Director of Rockwood Psychological Services, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Dr. Geoffrey Miller, University of New Mexico, New Mexico, United States.
Drs. Leen Sterckx, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
Prof. Alfons Vansteenwegen, Catholic University of Leuven Belgium

LANGUAGE AND THE MIND May 17th and May 18th 2006

Dr. Leonardo Fogassi of the University of Parma
Dr. Ray Jackendoff of Tufts University
Dr. Faraneh Vargha-Khadem of University College London
Dr. Peter Hagoort of the FC Donders institute in Nijmegen
Dr. Luc Steels of the Free University of Brussels and the Sony Artificial Intelligence Lab in Paris
Dr. Elena Lieven of the Max Planck institute in Leipzig
Dr. Simon Kirby of the University of Edinburgh
Dr. Susan Goldin-Meadow of the University of Chicago
Dr. Sergey Avrutin of the Utrecht University
Dr. Wolfram Hinzen

RESEARCHING THE SELF June 1st and 2nd 2005

Prof. Dr. Hans Alma Professor of Psychology Capaciteitsgroep Zingeving University for Humanistics Utrecht University
Walter Anderson, Ph. D. President of the World Academy of Art and Science San Francisco
Jacques Bos, PhD.Teacher at the University of Amsterdam Research chair in Philosophy of Science University of Amsterdam
Seth Gillihan, M.A. Researcher at the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience Department of Psychology University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States of America
Prof. Dr. Owen Holland Deputy Head of Department (Research) Department of Computer Science University of Essex, United Kingdom
Sander Koole, Ph. D. Associate Professor Department of Social Psychology Faculty of Psychology and Education Free University Amsterdam, Netherlands
Prof. Dr. Thomas Metzinger Assistant Professor of Psychology Department of Psychology Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Germany
Prof. Dr. L. Oppenheimer Chair of the Committee of Exams of the Department of Psychology Professor of Developmental Psychology University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
Steven Platek, Ph. D. Assistant Professor of Psychology Department of Psychology Drexel University, Philadelphia, United States of America
Kathleen Vohs, Ph. D. Canada Research Chair in Marketing Science and Consumer Psychology University of British Columbia Sauder School of Business, Marketing pision, Canada

FEAR AND ANXIETY May 26th & 27th 2004

Prof. Dr. T. Pyszcynski. (University of Colorado Springs)
Prof. Dr. R. Dolan. (Wellcome, Department of Neuroscience Imaging, London, United Kingdom)
Prof Dr P.M.G. Emmelkamp. (Department of Psychology at the University of Amsterdam, Netherlands) Professor and chair of the subdepartment of Clinical Psychology
Prof. Dr. N. H. Frijda. (Department of Psychology at the University of Amsterdam, Netherlands) Emeritus professor of emotional sciences.
Prof. Dr. A. Öhman. (Prefekt, Dept.of Clinical Neurosciences) Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm
Prof. Dr. van den Hout. (Dep. of Clinical Psychology UvA) Experimental psychopathology
Prof. Dr. H. J. G. M. van Megen. (Utrecht Medical Centre, department of psychiatry Rudolf Magnus Institute), Associate professor Sector Impulse Regulation Disorders. Department of Psychiatry
Dr. Y. Gidron. (University of Southampton, United Kingdom)
Dr. R. Ruiter. (Maastricht University)

STRUGGLE FOR POWER June 12th 2003

Prof. dr. B.H. Raven (University of California, USA) Interpersonal Influence: The Bases of Social Power
Prof. dr. S.H. Ng (City University, Hong Kong) Social Psychology
Prof. dr. W. Scholl (Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany) Organizational and Social Psychology: The Janus-face of power: Consequences of promotive and restrictive controll
Dr. B. Bermond (University of Amsterdam, Netherlands) Psychonomics
Prof. dr. C. van der Eijk (University of Amsterdam, Netherlands) Political Science: Three faces of political power
Dr. M. Frankenhuis (Director Artis Amsterdam Zoo) The Peacocks’ Tail
Prof. C. de Dreu (University of Amsterdam, Netherlands) Irganizational Psychology

EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY May 31st 2002

Dr. Akko P. Kalma (Free University Amsterdam, Netherlands) Mathematics and Physics (Universiteit Utrecht, Netherlands) Psychology
Prof. Jan A.R.A.M. van Hooff (Universiteit Utrecht, Netherlands) Biology
Prof. David P. Schmitt (Bradley University, UK) Psychology
Prof. J.H. Barkow (Dalhousie University, Canada) Anthropology
Prof. Daniel C. Dennett (Tufts University, USA) Philosophy
Dr. Paul Voestermans (Universiteit Nijmegen, Netherlands) Cultural psychology, history of psychology, and evolutionary psychology
Dr. Dylan Evans (University of Bath, UK) Mechanical Engineering

CONSCIOUSNESS June 1st 2001

Prof Dr Margaret A. Boden (University of Sussex, UK) Artificial Intelligence
Prof Dr David Chalmers (University of Arizona, USA) Philosophy
Prof Dr Axel Cleeremans (Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium) Experimental Psychology
Dr E.R.S. Nijenhuis (Cats-Polm Instituut, GGZ Drenthe, Netherlands) Clinical Psychology
Prof Dr Petra Stoerig (University of Düsseldorf, Germany) Biological Psychology
Dr P. Meijer (Philips Research Laboratories Eindhoven, Netherlands) Seeing with sound
Prof Dr W. van de Grind (Comparative Physiology & Helmholtz Institute, Netherlands) Comparative Psychology

PERSONALITY June 20th 2000

Dr. P.P. Moorman (Rijksuniversiteit Leiden, Netherlands). What will the future bring?
Prof. dr. W.K.B.Hofstee (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Netherlands). Big Five: Paradigms in personality measurements.
Prof. dr. F. van de Vijver (Katholieke Universiteit Brabant, Netherlands). Personality and culture: Clashing characters?
Mw. drs. D. van Hemert (Katholieke Universiteit Brabant, Netherlands). Personality and Culture Psychology.
Mw. dr. G. Lensvelt-Mulders (University of Utrecht, Netherlands). A behavioral-genetic view of personality.
Prof. dr. H.M. van Praag (Academic Hospital Maastricht, Netherlands). Personality biology.
Mw. prof. dr. C. de Ruiter (University of Amsterdam, Netherlands). Forensic Psychology.

FUTURE OF PSYCHOLOGY November 11th and 12th 1999

Prof Dr N.H. Frijda (University of Amsterdam, Netherlands) Psychology and persity
Prof Dr A.H. Fischer (University of Amsterdam, Netherlands) Culture in Relation to Psychology: Epiphenomenon or Core Phenomenon?
Dr R. Wiseman (University of Hertfordshire, UK) Irrationality in the new millenium
Dr C. Watt (University of Edinburgh, UK) The Future of Psychology: Parapsychology’s Role
Prof Dr J. Heil (Davidson College, USA) What Philosophers Can Learn from Psychologists (and Vice Versa)
Prof Dr D.F. Swaab (Director of The Netherlands Institute for Brain Research) Emotion, Brain, and Consciousness
Prof Dr C.A.L. Hoogduin (Catholic University Nijmegen, Netherlands) The Psychologist and the Conversion Disorder
Prof Dr W.T.A.M. Everaerd (University of Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Dr H.C.D.G. de Regt (University of Brabant, Netherlands) The Future of Psychology as a science
Prof Dr A.W. Staats (University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA) Psychology’s Disunity : Problem and Promise for the future (a videoconference)
Dr S.J. Blackmore (University of the West of England, UK) Memes, Minds, and Consciousness
Prof Dr A.J. Marcel (Medical Research Council, Cognitive and Brain Sciences Unit, UK) Psychology: Intra-disciplinary and Inter-disciplinary Relations
Dr I.N. Marshall (psychologist, psychiatrist, philosopher, UK) Three Kinds of Thinking in Psychology
Prof Dr J.A. van Belzen (University of Amsterdam, Netherlands) Psychology’s Future Search for Humanity: Notes from a Cultural Perspective
Dr R.F.W. Diekstra (clinical psychologist, Netherands) In the Next Millennium Psychology Will Precede Morality
Prof Dr M. van den Hout (University of Maastricht, Netherlands) Clinical Psychology: State and Prospects

PARAPSYCHOLOGY May 20th 1998

Dr. C. Hamaker (University of Amsterdam, Netherlands)†
Prof. Dr. R. Morris (University of Edinburgh, UK) An overview of experimental parapsychology
Dr. M. Varvoglis (former Princeton Research Lab, USA) Ganzfeldexperiments
Prof. Dr. D.J. Bierman (University of Utrecht, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Dr. R. Wiseman (University of Hertfordshire, UK) The experimental evidence for psi: a sceptical perspective
Dr. H. Gerding (Parapsychological Institute Utrecht, Netherlands) Poltergeist in Druten
Mr. P. Lamont (MA), (University of Edinburgh, UK) The simulation of psychic phenomena
Mr. D. Bosga (MA), (Parapsychological Institute Utrecht, Netherlands) Clinical Parapsychology
Dr. F. Polak (Psychiatrist at the Amsterdam Communal Healthcare Center, Netherlands)