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20th Annual Duck Conference on Social Cognition: June 7-June 14, 2008;


Participants are required to complete several questionnaires prior to the conference.  You need not complete all four at once, but please do them all, even if you have previously provided some such information by e-mail (as these responses will be automatically compiled into a report for me).  Thank you.

Talk preferences and titles

Biographical information

Travel plans

Cooking and clean-up schedule

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This year's participants

Currently scheduled to attend:

Daniel Ames, Claire Ashton-James, Emily Balcetis, Don Carlston, Joe Cesario, Heather CLaypool, Anna-Lisa Cohen, Josh Correll, Matt Crawford, Liz Dunn, Kentaro Fujita, Rich Gramzow, Amy Hackney, Marlone Henderson, Sara Hodges, Cami Johnson, Kerry Kawakami, Allen McConnell, Lora Park, BJ Rydell, Jim Sherman, and John Skowronski




Arrival and departure schedule

Participants should arrive on Saturday, June 7, ideally around 5 PM or later that evening. Talks are currently scheduled for Sunday-Thursday, June 8-June 12, but may be rescheduled due to weather or other considerations.  Participants should leave the conference site on Saturday, June 14, ideally around 10:00 A.M. Saturday, leaving around two hours to get to the Norfolk airport (ORF).




What should I bring?

Linens? Your bed will be made when you arrive. You will have one or more pillows. You will also get one small bath towel and washcloth. Want more? Bring your own.

For the pool: A beach towel is highly recommended. Sandals and/or water shoes of some type would be wise (participants in pool volleyball have found that the pool floor can be very hard on your feet if you don't have water shoes). Also bring a swim suit and sun block. Beach toys?

Other athletic equipment? We usually have a basketball, volleyball and net and a few misc. beach balls, Frisbees, etc. Bring anything else you'd like, including perhaps a tennis racket if you play.

What else do people commonly forget to bring? Personal hygiene items like soap and toothpaste. Spare glasses, contact lenses and/or sunglasses. Money. Sun hats. Warm & cool weather clothing. But, there are stores nearby.

Anything else to remember while I'm packing? Your talk, your Powerpoint presentation, reprints of your work, writing instruments and a pad of paper, maps and other e-mailed materials.

Computers and Internet access?  Most of our houses are now equipped for wireless Internet access, though there is no guarantee that all the equipment will be working properly.  There is usually one hard-wired computer on site.

Many participants bring laptops, and we have never had any security problem. But houses (and rooms) are generally unlocked. And we are uninsured against theft.  So you do so at your own risk.

Please see the note below on proper behavior, as the availability of wireless Internet is not an unmitigated blessing.

Anything else you'd like someone to bring? Playing cards, other games, music tapes or CD's, a dictionary, favorite recipes, Bailey's and/or other gifts for the organizer?





Telephone calls

The phones in the Duck rental houses do not generally accept long distance calls, meaning that you must have some kind of calling card to make an outgoing call. Prepaid calling cards are available at local 7/11's. And of course, lots of folks will bring cell phones.

What are the telephone numbers? I do not usually know these until I show up and look at the phones. Offer to call your significant others once you arrive to let them know. Or if you must know, I can try to find out for you.





Paying your bill

On the last evening, or before you go if you leave early, you will get a bill for your share of the housing and food costs.  Please do not leave before paying!  Your share will be equal to all housing, insurance, food, drink and incidental costs divided across all adult participants (estimated to come to around $850/person for the week).  Costs are on a full week basis even if you are not there the full time.  However, I do make minor adjustments in room charges based on differences in rooming arrangements, and in the food/drink bill based on self-estimates of alcohol consumption.

Please note that you need to bring cash (US Dollars) or a checkbook (US or Canadian checks). I have no way of dealing with charge cards. You will get a receipt for reimbursement purposes.





Departure requirements

We have to clean up each house, empty the refrigerator, empty all wastebaskets, take out the recycling and garbage, start the dishwasher, and lock up the houses. There are instructions on the counter in both houses. Houses must be vacated by 10:00 AM on Saturday.  Please help out before leaving! 

Be sure to leave lots of time to make it to the airport!  Since virtually all houses on the Outer Banks rent during the summer, and since virtually all weekly rentals end on Saturday or Sunday, traffic leaving the area can be very bad.  It is recommended that you leave at least 3 hours before your flight.





Proper behavior

Please remember that this conference is intended as a rare opportunity for social cognition enthusiasts of different ranks, ages, backgrounds and interests to get to know each other personally and professionally. The value of the conference is considerably diminished when cliques form or participants otherwise focus their interest and activities around a limited subset of those attending. Thank you for trying to extend yourself.

Also, respect for other speakers and participants is paramount. I worry a lot about the congeniality of discussions and of the conference as a whole, and I take feedback from participants very seriously in extending future invitations. Last year's group was terrific, and I hope this year's will be even better.

Finally, although wireless Internet access is beneficial, there have been occasions where participants sat around engaged in parallel play (parallel surfing?) at the expense of actual interaction.  Though I do not want to deprive participants of their ability to access the Internet periodically, it is important not to do so when it might interfere with full engagement in talks or interactions with other participants.  Please keep in mind the real benefits of Duck and limit your web-surfing accordingly.

Finally, note that it is essential that all participants adhere to the rules and regulations detailed in our rental contracts.  Most importantly, neither smoking nor pets are permitted anywhere on the rental properties, inside or outside, and we agree, as a group, to maintain the facilities in a safe and well-kept condition, and to obey all local ordinances, including those against excessive noise.

 

Photos from past conferences

Space has provided in this section for 9 pictures per conference, although the organizer's personal collection is far less that that, and omits many years completely. Past participants are encouraged to send photos or scans of other photos for possible inclusion in this section. Group pictures would be particularly appreciated. Please specify the year for submitted photos if known. Thank you.

Continue to photo page...





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