The history of conference Social Processes and Personality and modern history of Czech and Slovak psychology after social changes in Eastern Europe in eighties and nineties of 20th Century are to a large degree connected. In 1990, after almost 50 years of ideological pressure and control, particularly in social sciences, Czechoslovak psychology (Czechs and Slovaks had lived up to 1993 together in state Czechoslovakia) opened up to world. Social changes represented in particular free choice of research subjects and open scientific discussion. Therefore, important phenomenon of 90s was making many different professional meetings, from workshops devoted to special topics to multidisciplinary conferences.
With increasing scientific activity of researchers from different academic and university institutes need for special conference on psychological research arose. Thus, the conference Social Processes and Personality was established to meet demands of these days. The title of conference reflected the main domains of research of Czech and Slovak psychologists in nineties of 20th century. However, the conference was ever opened to other research topics such as health psychology, cognitive psychology, educational psychology, and last – but not least – the methodology of psychological research.
The first conference Social Processes and Personality took place in Brno in 1998 and it was organized together by the Institute of Psychology of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Brno and by Institute of Psychology of Faculty of Arts of Masaryk University in Brno. Since 2000 the conference is organized also by two Slovak institutes – Institute of Social Sciences of Slovak Academy of Sciences in Kosice and Institute of Experimental Psychology of Slovak Academy of Sciences in Bratislava. Since 2002 all these institutes rotate in organizing of the conference. Collection of contributions is made every year from the beginning of conference. Moreover, since 2004 this collection is reviewed. So the composite book has become some kind of „Annual Review“ of Czech and Slovak psychology.
Last but not least, conference Social Processes and Personality has impressed itself on mind of Czech and Slovak psychologists not only for high professional quality but also for friendly atmosphere opened both to professional and personal dialogues. We wish to conference Social Processes and Personality high scientific quality, new ideas, and more and more participants!
Marek Blatný
Shortened and revised journal article "Conference Social Processes & Personality: 10 years history" published in zeroth volume of "Social Processes & Personality" in 2008