AbstractThe article presents a personal history of European social psychology as advanced by the European Association of Experimental Social Psychology during the last twenty years. It is argued that this association did indeed create a new forum for European social psychologists through organizing summerschools, general meetings, workshops, east—west conferences and through the foundation of a scientific journal and a series of monographs. The Association may also have promoted a different perspective in social psychological research by emphasizing more the collective nature of social behaviour rather than interpersonal processes and by favouring substance over metho