The Methods Event offers an opportunity to focus on the “how” in a structured small-group setting. Discussion leaders will draw on their expertise to introduce and summarize selected methodologies, and then will facilitate dialogue within the small group. Topics range from tools used in the laboratory to those used in the field. They will include well-established methods and experimental innovations. The Methods Event is meant to help you to expand, refine, or rethink your methodological toolkit, whatever your career stage.

Discussion leaders will include: Alexandra Crosswell (University of California, San Francisco), Derek Isaacowitz (Northeastern University), Tamlin Conner (University of Otago, New Zealand), Tiffany Ho (Stanford University), Christian Waugh (Wake Forest University), Nicole Giuliani (University of Oregon), Heather Urry (Tufts University), Samira Shaikh (University of North Carolina at Charlotte), Catherine Norris (Swarthmore College), Zakia Hammal (Carnegie Mellon University).

We will demonstrate how to measure and analyze Heart Rate Variability and Skin Conductance Responses using Biopac’s ECG and EDA modules and associated analysis software.

The Speed Networking Event will provide attendees the opportunity to interact with several leaders in the field of affective science, briefly and in an informal setting. Each networking event attendee will get to meet one-on-one with several of these mentors. This meeting will give mentees an opportunity to introduce themselves and ask the mentor questions related to their research, career advice, or any other burning questions they have. Each of these meetings will last around five minutes, after which mentees will rotate to meet with another host.

Hosts will include: Daniel Foti (Purdue University), Elaine Fox (University of Oxford), Barbara Fredrickson (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), James Gross (Stanford University), Lasana Harris (University College London), Kristin Lagattuta (University of California, Davis), Dacher Keltner (University of California, Berkeley), Hedy Kober (Yale University), Ann Kring (University of California, Berkeley), Robert Levenson (University of California, Berkeley), Kristen Lindquist (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), Terry Maroney (Vanderbilt University), Iris Mauss (University of California, Berkeley), Kateri McRae (University of Denver), Wendy Berry Mendes (University of California, San Francisco), Joseph Mikels (DePaul University), Paula Niedenthal (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Matt Nock (Harvard University), Sarah Pressman (University of California, Irvine), Leah Somerville (Harvard University), Virginia Sturm (University of California, San Francisco), and Maya Tamir (Hebrew University of Jerusalem).

The Emotion Regulation Pre-Conference will feature emotion regulation research from various disciplines and topics, consider emotion regulation from different perspectives, and share exciting new findings and methods. It will feature a range of formats from short talks to panel discussions to breakout groups. All presentations will be invited. Our goal is to have fun, build connections among those interested in emotion regulation (faculty, post-docs, students), and share ideas about new directions in emotion regulation research. This year’s program includes a methods spotlight on the use EMA (ecological momentary assessment) in emotion regulation research.

The Seventh Annual SAS Positive Emotions Pre-Conference will feature state-of-the-science research on positive emotions. The Positive Emotions Pre-Conference is designed to bring researchers together from a variety of fields to advance the science of positive emotions using a data-centric approach. We encourage thinking, discussing, and integrating across disciplines, and feature speakers who range across research lab traditions to promote diversity in positive-emotion research. This year’s pre-conference will feature talks showcasing the latest findings in the field and ample opportunities for collaborative discussions and for attendees to connect with one another. Highlights include an interactive panel on big data in positive affective science, featuring speakers from both academia and industry, and a series of invited talks focusing on new and unpublished work. The preconference also features submitted flash talks and posters, and offers prizes for the best flash talk and posters presented by trainees.

This preconference will highlight recent advances in research on the interplay between culture and emotion, featuring two themes: “Culture and Emotion Perception” (focusing on research investigating cultural influences on emotion perception) and “Cultural Fit of Emotions” (focusing on implications of emotions that fit (or do not fit) in their cultural contexts). The preconference will include two thematic sessions with invited speakers, a data blitz session, a poster session, and a keynote address by Batja Mesquita. Invited speakers include Rachael Jack, Maria Gendron, Taka Masuda, and Ursula Hess for Culture and Emotion Perception session, and Jeanne Tsai, Jose Soto, Yukiko Uchida, and Will Tsai for Cultural Fit of Emotions session. Abstract submissions for data blitz and poster presentations will be solicited (deadline January 15, 2019)