Richard Crisp is a well-known social psychologist, and behavioural scientist recognized for his important work in social psychology. He is currently a professor and head of the Department of Psychology at Durham University. Crisp has held several prestigious academic roles, including professor of psychology at the University of Kent, where he was head of the School of Psychology. He has been a professor of social psychology at the University of Sheffield and Aston Business School, where he was associate dean for research and enterprise. He has been at Durham University since 2017. His research centres on diversity, multiculturalism, prejudice, stereotyping, and intergroup contact. He created the imagined contact hypothesis, a method to reduce prejudice through mental imagery. Crisp has published over 150 academic papers and several books, including "Essential Social Psychology" and "The Social Brain: How Diversity Made the Modern Mind," emphasising diversity's role in intellectual and societal growth.
Richard has received many awards, including fellowships from the British Psychological Society and the Academy of Social Sciences. He won the Louise Kidder Early Career Award in 2003, the Spearman Medal in 2006, the Gordon Allport Intergroup Relations Prize in 2011, and the British Psychological Society President's Award in 2014. He has served as associate editor of the "Journal of Experimental Social Psychology" and is currently the editor-in-chief of the "Journal of Applied Social Psychology." His work has significantly influenced understanding how diversity affects behaviour and societal progress, offering insights and strategies to promote inclusive communities. He continues to impact social psychology research and education through his leadership and editorial roles.