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GrouPsy-Lab

A Sabanci University based social psychology lab.

About Us

The GrouPsy Lab, led by Prof. Dr. Çiğdem Bağcı, is a social psychology research lab at Sabancı University. Our research interests include but are not limited to phenomena within intergroup relationships such as stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination, intergroup contact, collective action; environmental behaviors, and human-robot interactions.

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Through cutting-edge research, our lab aims to deepen understanding of these critical social issues and contribute to the development of interventions that promote healthy cross-group communication and foster intergroup harmony.

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Our Instagram Account: https://www.instagram.com/groupsylab/

Ongoing Projects

Robot Threat and Collective Action Project

This study investigates whether robots and similar technologies can threaten our basic human needs, and further influence intergroup attitudes  and collective action intentions for humans and robots/AI. Prof. Çiğdem Bağcı, Prof. Junko Kanero, Prof. Wang Xijing from City University of Hong Kong,  Selen Akay and İrem Sakarya are collaborators on this project. 

Predictors of Pro Environmental Attitudes and Behaviors

This research investigates the role of contextual and individual level factors in shaping pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors with a longitudinal study. This project is funded by the TUBITAK 1001 grant. Prof. Çiğdem Bağcı, İpek Güvensoy, Büşra Kaplan, Güneş Sağanak and İrem Sakarya are collaborators. 

Latest Publications

Correcting Meta-Attitude Inaccuracies Through Intergroup Contact: Evidence From Polarized and Non-Polarized Intergroup Contexts

Ipek Guvensoy, Sabahat Cigdem Bagci, Sofia Stathi

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September, 2026  10.1111/jasp.70102

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In three pre‐registered experiments, we investigated two intergroup contact strategies in correcting group members' mis perceptions of how the outgroup views their ingroup ‐ meta‐attitude inaccuracy. Studies 1 (N = 555) and 2 (N = 447) tested the effectiveness of mass‐mediated intergroup contact via media content depicting positive intergroup interactions in interracial (Black–White Americans) and political (Democrats–Republicans) contexts, in comparison to informational feedback (providing feedback about actual outgroup perceptions) and control (travel destinations video) conditions. Study 3 tested a direct contact strategy using the Minimal Group Paradigm in a relatively non‐conflictual context (University students, N = 88). Among the contact strategies, mass‐mediated contact was effective in rectifying meta‐attitude inaccuracy in all groups, except Republicans, for whom the inaccuracy shifted in the direction of an overly positive misperception. Informational feedback also resulted in comparable effects. Findings offer insights for policymakers seeking short, scalable, low‐cost strategies and stress the need to integrate contact and meta‐accuracy literatures.

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