Call for Papers
Submit your research and contribute to the academic program of MediaPsych 2027. Details on topics, formats, deadlines and submission guidelines will be published here.
We are pleased to announce the upcoming conference of the Media Psychology Division of the German Psychological Society (DGPs), which will take place on September 08-10 2027 in Hanover, Germany, hosted by the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media. This conference is a key event for all national and international researchers in the field of media psychology, offering a platform for the presentation and discussion of the latest research findings, theoretical advancements, and practical applications. The conference series’ traditionally close collaboration with Journal of Media Psychology: Theories, Methods, and Applications will continue with the return of the JMP Special Selection Panel. Beyond the well-known tracks for reflection of theme-focused research, MediaPsych 27 will also feature open formats for participatory discussion of fundamental and strategic issues that the field is facing.
For this year’s conference, we welcome submissions that cover the entire breadth of topics within the field of media psychology. As the hosting Department of Journalism and Communication Research (IJK), we particularly invite submissions to the focus theme
The Psychology of AI-Human Relationships
Roughly five years after the introduction of the commercial pioneer for using generative artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, psychological research on many themes associated with media and communication has to consider manifestations or implications of AI. Many instances of the production (e.g., in journalism), content and form (e.g., autonomous avatars), dissemination and selection (algorithms), processing and effects of media messages exhibit close convergence with AI technologies and tools, which is oftentimes assumed to bring up important novel psychological questions. These broadly relate to (1) changes that AI integration or substitution brings to established communication dynamics which affects human cognition, emotion, and behavior, and (2) how human users think, feel, or act towards, with, or about AI tools and interfaces themselves. Vice versa, psychological inquiry on AI also considers (3) how AI design and functionality reflect makers’ assumptions of user psychology, that is, how AI technologies are built to pre-shape and respond to their “relationship” with users. Procedurally, research on AI-Human Relationships reconsiders existing models and theories, or works towards novel models and theories, and finds effective methodological answers to the challenges and opportunities that AI imposes on media psychological science.
Submissions
The conference invites several types of submissions which can address the conference topic or media psychological research in general (i.e., not related to the conference theme):
Position Papers & Theoretical Papers (1,000 words)
Position papers and theoretical contributions will be presented in plenary talks. These presentations should cover a current topic in media psychology and be of broad interest to the research community. This could include systematic reviews or meta-analyses, but also advances in theoretical work, or new approaches to describe and understand the available literature in a given field. For position papers please submit an extended abstract of 1,000 words max (excluding references). Please prepare the extended abstract as a PDF file and a short teaser (80 words max) that could be used in the conference program overview. For the teaser, please use the respective text field in the submission system.
Research Reports (300 words)
Research reports present one or more empirical studies. You should provide (1) a brief description of the theoretical background, (2) research questions, and (3) a summary of the methodological approach. Please do not include any results of your study in the submission. Submissions will be judged on quality of theory and methods, not results. However, participants are expected to present their results at the conference. Research reports will be presented either in plenary talks or as posters. Authors may express a preference for either format; yet, the decision about the presentation mode for accepted submissions will be made by the organizing committee based on reviewer assessments and slot availability. For research reports, please submit an abstract of 300 words max (excluding references, figures etc.).
Please prepare the abstract as plain text and paste it into the respective text field in the submission system. Additionally, please prepare a short teaser (80 words) that could be used in the conference program overview. For the teaser, please use the respective text field in the submission system.
Open Format:
What Media Psychologists Should Talk About
(1,000 words)
One of the key values of in-person conferences is meeting (new) people and making use of their presence for participatory development of novel ideas. MediaPsych27 will therefore offer considerable space and time for open format sessions in which attendants can address cross-cutting issues of interest to the field, the community, or external stakeholders. Similar to “Blue Sky Workshops” featured at conferences of the International Communication Association, open format sessions are invited to stimulate active dialogue among all participants. Except for (short) impulse statements, session time should be devoted to facilitating open discussion (e.g., by means of moderated dialogue or creative group thinking tasks). Themes of open format sessions may relate (but are certainly not limited to) theoretical, epistemological, field-programmatic, strategic-organizational, methodological, ethical, or society-related (e.g., science communication and knowledge transfer) domains.
Session submissions should explicate the theme or challenge that participants are supposed to work on, justify the relevance and benefits of the effort, and describe the organizers, key facilitators, as well as the planned elements of the session (e.g., impulse statements, think-pair-share phases). Ideas for documentation, post-session consolidation of results, and potential medium-/long-term follow-up activities should be included as well.
Open format submissions that meet formal criteria will be accepted without peer-review, but after consultation with the executive board of the Media Psychology Division of DGPs until the number of available time slots is met. The organizing committee will implement a random selection if more acceptable proposals are submitted than time slots are available.
For open format sessions, please submit an extended abstract of 1,000 words max. (excluding references).
Please prepare the extended abstract as one PDF file and an additional short teaser (80 words) that could be used in the conference program overview. For the teaser, please use the respective text field in the submission system.
JMP Special Selection Panel
Extended Abstracts with Priority Access
to Being Published in the
Journal of Media Psychology
(1,500 words)
In collaboration with the Journal of Media Psychology (JMP), MediaPsych27 will offer a special selection panel aimed at providing space for early-career scholarship and allowing a smooth transition from the conference submission to a peer-reviewed journal publication in JMP.
Authors are invited to submit an extended abstract (1,500 words max, excl. references, tables and figures). Abstracts must present one or more empirical studies. Please provide (1) a brief description of the theoretical background, (2) research questions/hypotheses, (3) a summary of the methodological approach, (4) either results and/or a confirmation that data collection is ongoing and that final results will be ready for presentation at the MediaPsych 2027 conference. If possible, (5) ideas for the discussion section to appear in the full report may also be included in the extended abstract.
Submitting authors are asked to confirm their willingness to submit a full manuscript draft (4,000 words max) that meets the JMP author guidelines for “research reports” (PDF) based on their extended abstract by November 10, 2027 via the JMP’s submission system. Authors are expected to consider the feedback they receive during the conference when completing their full manuscript draft.
Extended abstracts will be reviewed by experienced scholars under curation by the executive board of the Media Psychology division of the German Psychological Association. Abstracts accepted for this panel and submitted as research report manuscripts to JMP on time will automatically be considered a “Revise and Resubmit” for JMP, meaning that the papers have a high chance of being published in the journal. Reviews of the extended conference abstract will be transferred to JMP to ensure coherent consideration of the abstract and the resulting manuscript submission.
Submissions are restricted to non-tenure or early career first-authors (co-authors can be more senior researchers as well).
Extended abstract submissions not admitted to the JMP Special Selection Panel which are still considered as valuable contributions by the reviewers will be placed in other panels/poster sessions with the same priority as regular abstract submissions. Hence, there is no need to produce a regular abstract submission in addition to the submission to the JMP Special Selection panel.
Please submit an extended abstract of 1,500 words max (excluding references, tables, and figures). Please prepare the extended abstract as PDF file and an additional short teaser (80 words) that could be used in the conference program overview. For the teaser, please use the respective text field in the submission system.
PhD Workshop
The conference will be preceded by a Workshop for PhD students of Media Psychology, organized by Sabine Trepte and German Neubaum. The workshop will take place on the first day of the conference (08 September 2027) in a city building of Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media (Leisewitzstrasse). All PhD students working on topics from media psychology and related areas are welcome to apply – especially students who are pursuing an academic career after their dissertations. As part of this workshop, participants will work on their individual presentation and writing skills, discuss their PhD projects, receive advice on career planning, and will have the opportunity for networking. The entire workshop will be held in English and includes intensive group work and mentoring. Informal applications should include a short motivation letter (1 page max), a CV, a description of the dissertation topic (4 pages max. including references), and questions that you would like to ask on the topic of an academic career (in English).
Please send these files electronically to mediapsych.doctoralworkshop@uni-due.de
The application deadline for the PhD workshop is 1 June, 2027.
Submissions and Review Procedure
All submissions have to be uploaded via ConfTool (www.conftool.net/mediapsych27 ) and will undergo a peer-review process (except for Open Format submissions). Each author may submit and present only one contribution as first author (“Open Format” submissions as well as submissions to the JMP Special Selection Panel do not count against this limit); additional contributions as co-author are welcome. All first authors must serve as reviewers for other submissions.
The Media Psychology Division will award prizes for the best poster and best research report.
Important Dates:
- Submission system opens on January 2, 2027
- Abstract Submission Deadline: February 15, 2027
- Notification of Acceptance: April 1, 2027
- Phd Workshop Submission Deadline June 1, 2027
- Early Bird Registration Deadline: July 1, 2027
- Conference September 08-10, 2027
- Full Paper Submission by Authors in the JMP Special Selection Panel: November 10, 2027
Contact Information:
For further information, please visit our website www.mediapsych27.de or contact the conference organizers at mp27@ijk.hmtm-hannover.de
Organizing Committee:
Sophie Bruns, Anna Freytag, Dorothée Hefner, Robin Leuppert, Daniel Possler, Charlotte Schrimpff & Christoph Klimmt