Contacts
Michael joined the ANU Department of Psychology as a researcher and teacher in social psychology in August 2003.
Since arriving at ANU, he has collaborated with colleagues in the ANU Department of Psychology and Research School of Social Sciences, Flinders University, UCLA, and New York University in the successful application of four Discovery Grants from the Australian Research Council (ARC) totalling over one million dollars. The research in two of these grants examines the social and psychological processes involved in procedural justice, with the first (2005 – 2007) examining the consequences (e.g., protest) of denying people a fair say (in collaboration with Dr Rachael Eggins), and the second (2012 – 2014) examining peoples’ relative desires and expectations of actually having a say (with Dr Yuen Huo & Professor Tom Tyler). The other two grants supported research examining the social and psychological processes involved in in restorative justice (2005 – 2007; with Dr Michael Wenzel, Professor Norman Feather, & Dr Tyler Okimoto), and marginalizing racism (2008 – 2010; with Professor Michael Smithson & Dr Diana Grace).
From 2003 through 2007 he served as the convener of Social Psychology Research Group at ANU; and from 2007 through 2009, he was the President of the Society of Australasian Social Psychologists. In 2007, he was a recipient of the nationally competitive Australian Learning and Teaching Council Carrick Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning; and in 2011, was recipient of the Award for Excellence in Education from the ANU College of Medicine, Biology and Environment/College of Physical and Mathematical Science. In 2012, Michael was elected to be a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia.
Prior to arriving at ANU, he worked for six years in the School of Psychological Science at La Trobe University in Melbourne, and for six years in the Department of Psychology at the University of Otago in New Zealand. He earned his bachelor's degree in psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles; and his doctorate at the University of California, Santa Barbara, under the supervision of Professor Charles “Chuck” McClintock. More recently, he earned his Masters of Higher Education at ANU.
Over the course of my academic career, he has conducted and published research on the social psychology of distributive, procedural, and restorative justice; leadership; social influence; helping; in-group favouritism and social identity management; linguistic masking; diversity; and social value orientations. In seeking to understand these diverse phenomena, he has relied heavily on the theoretical and meta-theoretical assumptions of social identity and self-categorization theories.
Research interests
Shying away from having a say: Expanding the social psychology of procedural justice through a continuum model of voice expectations and desires (ARC-Funded, 3-Year Discovery Grant with Dr. Yuen Huo and Professor Tom Tyler)
Both intuitions and formal theory tell us that people expect and like to express their views. But these expectations and desires are not as uniform as current theory suggests; some people (e.g. low status) may have no expectation of being listened to, while others seek the removal of democratic systems that canvass people's views (e.g., some extreme fundamentalists). Our aim in this social-psychological research is to question current theoretical assumptions so as to develop a more accurate understanding of variability in people's expectations and desires to have a say. Through this research, we hope to empower those with low expectations of being heard, and to be on guard for those who may seek to deny others of their rightful say.
Grants
ARC Discovery (DP120103083), $243,497 (2012 – 2014)
Shying away from having a say: expanding the social psychology of procedural justice through a continuum model of voice expectations and desires
Platow, Prof Michael J; Huo, A/Prof Yuen J; Tyler, Prof Tom R
ARC Discovery (DP0878905), $385,000 (2008 – 2010)
When immigrants and converts are not truly one of us: Examining the social psychology and developmental antecedents of marginalizing racism
A/Prof MJ Platow; Dr MJ Smithson; Dr DM Grace
ARC Discovery (DP0557634), $315,000 (2005 – 2007)
How do we seek justice after hurt, offence or terror? Retributive and restorative responses
Dr M Wenzel; Prof N Feather; Dr MJ Platow
ARC Discovery (DP0558339), $120,000 (2005 – 2007)
Resource distribution as a self-categorisation cue: The psychology of inferring group membership from the distribution of valued resources
Dr MJ Platow; Dr RA Eggins
Projects
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Groups
- Researcher, Indigenous peoples, cultures and knowledges
- Researcher, Psychology, communication and the arts
Haslam, S. A., Reicher, S. D., & Platow, M. J. (in press). Leadership. In J. D. Wright (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences (2nd ed.). Oxford: Elsevier.
Platow, M. J., Haslam, S. A., & Reicher, S. D. (in press). Leadership and the essential role of psychological group memberships. In J. Burger (Ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Social Influence. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Reicher, S. D., Haslam, S. A., Platow, M. J., & Steffans, N. (in press). Tyranny and leadership. In Understanding Peace and Conflict through Social Identity Theory: Contemporary and World-wide Perspectives.
Grace, D. M., & Platow, M. J. (2015). Showing leadership by not showing your face: An anonymous leadership effect. Sage Open, 5, 1-10.
Grace, D. M., Straiton, M., Hewett-Reeves, W., Platow, M. J. (2015). Insides and outsides: Investigating preschoolers’ understanding of biological and environmental aspects of essentialism with novel categories. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 40, 33-41.
Haslam, S. A., Reicher, S. D., & Platow, M. J. (2015). Leadership: Theory and practice. In M. Mikulincer, P. R. Shaver, J. F. Dovidio, & J. A. Simpson. APA Handbook of Personality and Social Psychology: Volume 2: Group Processes (pp. 67-94). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Platow, M. J., Haslam, S. A., Reicher, S. D., & Steffens, N. K. (2015). There is no leadership if no-one follows: Why leadership is necessarily a group process. International Coaching Psychology Review, 10, 20-37.
Platow, M. J., Hunter, J. A., Haslam, S. A., & Reicher, S. D. (2015). Reflections on Muzafer Sherif’s legacy in social identity and self-categorization theories. In A. Dost-Gözkan & D. S. Keith (Eds.), Norms, groups, conflict, and social change: Rediscovering Muzafer Sherif’s psychology (pp. 275-305). London: Transaction Publications.
Smithson, M. J., Sopeña, A., & Platow, M. J. (2015). When is group membership zero-sum? Effects of ethnicity, threat, and social identity on dual national identity. PLoS ONE, 10(6): e0130539. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0130539.
Smyth, L., Mavor, K. I., Platow, M. J., Grace, D. M., & Reynolds, K. J. (2015). Discipline social identification, study norms and learning approach in university students. Educational Psychology, 35, 53-72.
Mavor, K. I., McNeill, K. G., Anderson, K., Kerr, A., O’Reilly, E., & Platow, M. J. (2014). Beyond prevalence to process: The role of self and identity in medical student wellbeing. Medical Education, 48, 351-360.
Platow, M. J., Grace, D. M., & Smithson, M. J. (2014). When immigrants and converts are not truly one of us: Examining the social psychology of marginalizing racism. In K. Rubenstein, F. Jenkins, & M. Nolan (Eds.), Allegiance and Identity in a Globalised World (pp. 192-220). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Platow, M. J., Hunter, J. A., Branscombe, N. R., & Grace, D. M. (2014). Social creativity in Olympic medal counts: Observing the expression of ethnocentric fairness. Social Justice Research, 27, 283-304.
Reicher, S. D., Haslam, S. A., & Platow, M. J. (2014). The social psychological study of leadership. In R.A.W. Rhodes & P. 't Hart (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Political Leadership. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Steffens, N. K., Haslam, S. A., Reicher, S. D., Platow, M. J., Fransen, K., Yang, J., Ryan, M. K., Jetten, J., Peters, K. O., & Boen, F. (2014). Leadership as social identity management: Introducing the identity leadership inventory (ILI) to assess and validate a four-dimensional model. The Leadership Quarterly, 25, 1001-1024.
Cruwys, T., Platow, M. J., Rieger, E., & Byrne, D. G. (2013). The development and validation of the Dieting Intentions Scale (DIS). Psychological Assessment, 25, 264-278.
Koivisto, S., Lipponen, J., & Platow, M. J. (2013). Organizational and supervisory justice effects on experienced threat during change: The moderating role of leader in-group representativeness. Leadership Quarterly, 24, 595-607.
Platow, M. J., Eggins, R. A., Chattopadhyay, R., Brewer, G., Hardwick, L., Milsom, L., Brocklebank, J., Lalor, T., Martin, R., Quee, M., Vassallo, S., & Welsh, J. (2013). Two experimental tests of relational models of procedural justice: Non-instrumental voice and authority group membership. British Journal of Social Psychology, 52, 361-376.
Platow, M. J., Mavor, K. I., & Grace, D. M. (2013). On the role of discipline-related self-concept in deep and surface approaches to learning among university students. Instructional Science, 41, 271-285.
Cruwys, T., Platow, M. J., Angullia, S. A., Chang, J. M., Diler, S. E., Kirchner, J. L., Lentfer, C. E., Lim, Y. J., Quarisa, A., Tor, V. W. L., & Wadley, A. L. (2012). Modeling of food intake is moderated by salient psychological group membership. Appetite, 58, 754-757.
Platow, M. J. (2012). Ph.D. experience and subsequent outcomes: A look at self-perceptions of acquired graduate attributes and supervisor support. Studies in Higher Education, 37, 103-118.
Platow, M. J., & Hunter, J. A. (2012). Intergroup relations and conflict: Beyond Sherif’s Boys’ Camp Studies. In S. A. Haslam & J. R. Smith (Eds.), Refreshing social psychology: Beyond the classic studies (pp. 142-159). London: Sage.
Platow, M. J., Foddy, M., Yamagishi, T., Lim, L., & Chow, A. (2012). Two experimental tests of trust in in-group strangers. The moderating role of common knowledge of group membership. European Journal of Social Psychology, 42, 30-35.
Platow, M. J., Grace, D. M., & Smithson, M. J. (2012). Examining the preconditions for psychological group membership: Perceived social interdependence as the outcome of self categorization. Social Psychology and Personality Science, 3, 5-13.
De Castella, K., Platow, M. J., Wenzel, M., Okimoto, T. G., & Feather, N. T. (2011). Restorative and retributive responses to domestic violence: Muslim- and Anglo-Australian victims and offenders. Psychology, Crime & Law, 17, 403-420.
Haslam, S. A., Reicher, S., & Platow, M. J. (2011). El liderazgo como gestión de la identidad social. In F. Molero & J. F. Morales (Eds.), Liderazgo: Hecho y ficción: Visiones actuales (pp. 77-116). Spain: Alianza Editorial.
Haslam, S. A., Reicher, S., & Platow, M. J. (2011). The new psychology of leadership: Identity, influence and power. London: Psychology Press.
Crane, M. F., & Platow, M. J. (2010). Deviance as in-group loyalty. British Journal of Social Psychology, 49, 827-847.
Haslam, S. A. & Platow, M. J. (2010). Idiosyncrasy credit. In M. A. Hogg & J. M. Levine (Eds.) Sage Encyclopedia of Group Processes and Intergroup Relations (pp.420-422). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
McKone, E., Aimola Davies, A., Fernando, D., Aalders, R., Leung, H., Wickramariyaratne, T., & Platow, M. J.(2010). Asia has the global advantage: Race and visual attention. Vision Research, 50, 1540-1549.
Okimoto, T. G., Wenzel, M., & Platow, M. J. (2010). Restorative justice: Seeking a shared identity in dynamic intragroup contexts. In E. Mullen, E. Mannix, and M. Neale (Ed.), Research on Managing Groups and Teams: Fairness and Groups (Vol. 13, pp. 205-244). Oxford, UK: Emerald Ltd.
Wenzel, M., Okimoto, T. G., Feather, N. T., & Platow, M. J. (2010). Justice through consensus: Shared identity and the preference for a restorative notion of justice. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40, 909-930.