Psych-AID at the Joint Nordic Network Meeting: LGBTQ+-H-L and QUEEN 

Doctoral Researcher Malin Ekelund participated in the Joint Nordic Network Meeting held in Malmö from 24–25 November 2025 under the theme “Queer Methodologies.” The event was co‑hosted by the Nordic Network for LGBTQ+ Research on Health and Living Conditions (LGBTQ+-H‑L) and the Nordic research network QUEEN (QUeer rEfugees rEsearch Network). The meeting focused on exploring both the methodological and ethical dimensions of conducting research with and for LGBTQ+ communities. Throughout the sessions, participants engaged in discussions on topics such as methods and ethics in queer asylum and migration, the legal, social, and economic challenges faced by queer asylum seekers and migrants, and Intersectionality in queer asylum and migration. Other themes addressed included participatory action and community‑based research approaches, LGBTQ+, ageing, rurality and religion, as well as the possibilities and limitations of using register and survey data in LGBTQ+ research.

Malin presented her research titled “The Effect of Stereotype Congruence on Credibility Assessments of Sexual Minority Asylum Claims: Psychological Mechanisms and Intersectional Influences.” The study employed an experimental design and examined whether stereotype‑congruent or stereotype‑incongruent information affected credibility assessments of sexual minority asylum seekers. Although the manipulation did not produce the anticipated stereotype‑based effects, the findings revealed that other psychological factors were influential. In particular, perceptions of the applicant’s competence and the moral evaluation made by the mock asylum officials significantly shaped credibility assessments. These results highlight the complex processes underlying decision‑making in asylum procedures and underscore the importance of understanding how evaluators’ perceptions and biases can affect outcomes.

The slides of the presentation can be found below: