About Prosocial Science International
Science-Based Solutions for Human-Based Problems
PSI was founded in 1999 as "Prosocial Science Institute" to provide social science consulting to businesses and educational groups. As International engagements increased, Dr. Lang changed PSI's name to "Prosocial Science International" and, upon his transition from government service in 2025, increased PSI operations to full-time to better serve growing requests for applied social science consultations and collaborations, especially in the fields of security and Human Resources.
Eric Lang, Ph.D. is an internationally recognized Social Psychologist with 35 years experience improving organizational security, safety, effectiveness, fairness, and well-being through science-based policy recommendations and tools.
Dr. Lang has coauthored many clear, practical, research reports, given hundreds of invited presentations and briefings, and assisted businesses, governments, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), the U.N., and academic groups from the U.S. and around the world, including the U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Norway, Austria, Israel, Netherlands, South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, and South Korea.
He has a lifelong passion for understanding and applying Psychology for meaningful insights, solving problems, and capitalizing early on emerging opportunities.
Dr. Lang was previously the Director (2024-2025) of Behavioral Risk Sciences (BRS) at the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), the largest security organization in the U.S. Government, and is best known for his leadership and contributions as the Director (2011-2024) of the U.S. Personnel and Security Research Center (PERSEREC).
His doctorate degree in Social Psychology is from the University of Michigan and, prior to joining the Federal Government, his research and leadership included roles at the Institute for Social Research, American Institutes for Research, Sociometrics Corporation, and Northop Grumman.
Dr. Lang is often called upon to help leaders and operations staff understand and manage security, organizational culture, and Social Psychological issues related to malicious and unintentional Insider Risk, trust, and organizational well-being (click here to see PSI's five key services).
Meet Dr. Eric L. Lang
PSI Founder, Chief Human Science Officer
Human factors continue to be the greatest source of "insider" security and safety risks, and the greatest opportunity for improvement.
Technological safeguards are necessary but not sufficient to address security and safety problems. Similarly, "Basic Science" is not enough.
Real-world effectiveness requires "Applied Science"... understanding the inextricable braid of science, politics, and money.
My goal is to help you understand and implement practical social science applications relevant to your risks, employees, objectives, and resources.
I enjoy applying Psychology and Social Science to help businesses, governments, and individuals to thrive.
If you have questions, please contact me. I'm happy to help.
Services
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Strategic assistance as a member of an organization's Board of Directors or Advisory Board, or (for academic institutions) as a Faculty Associate, Fellow, or Professor of Practice.
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Keynote and closed-group presentations on science-based Insider Risk insights and best-practice recommendations to make policies and operations more effective, efficient, and fair.
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Consulting on specific in-house research efforts, tool development, project plans, and incidents.
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Acting as an independent and unbiased evaluator of the psychosocial science claims of a product or service under consideration for purchase, i.e., when an organization needs its own Social Psychology expert to help assess the validity of “sciency-sounding” vendor claims.
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No-cost mentoring, coaching, and pro-bono services to qualified low-income individuals and groups, such as graduate students, educators, volunteer-based groups, and certain non-profit service organizations.
Research, Tools, News
Resources in this section are recommended, but content is the responsibility of resource authors.
All listed resources are free unless otherwise noted, e.g., "[external purchase required]" for certain books.
Prosocial Science International (PSI) lists no "sponsored" resource links, and does not accept payment for listing a resource.
Articles, Tools, Books
Considered a classic, easy-to-read, summary (by Dr. Lang) of science-based insights and recommendations on insider threats.
Overview (co-authored by Dr. Lang) of clinical and field validation studies regarding a best-practice method to assess high risk personality disorders.
An extensive highly-regarded overview on key elements and considerations for identifying and managing insider threats.
Jack Teixeira: What Went Wrong. (2023 article) by LeTellier V. et al. on behalf of the Intelligence and National Security Alliance “INSA” Insider Threat Committee, Emerging Threat Working Group.
Insights (co-authored by Dr. Lang) on the U.S. DoD Jack Teixeira insider espionage case (open source / non-sensitive).
Insider Threats, (2017 book) by M. Bunn & S. Sagan
Excellent analyses and insights from a variety of key insider threat cases. [external purchase required]
The Three Pillars of Radicalization: Needs, Narratives, and Networks, (2019 book) by A. Kruglanski & J. Bélanger
Excellent Social Psychological perspective that is broadly applicable to insider threat beyond radicalization, i.e., fully understanding individuals' motivations and behaviors, requires knowing how their personal values ("needs"), identity stories ("narratives"), and social groups ("networks") interacted over time to influence their plans and actions. [external purchase required]
The Psychological Safety Playbook, (2023 book) by K. Helbig & M. Norman
Based on original research by Professor Amy Edmondson who pioneered the world's understanding of "Psychological Safety", this playbook provides clear and practical explanations and applications regarding this critically important aspect of organizational culture, team functioning, and workplace wellbeing. [external purchase required]
Security Culture and Organizational Culture are substantially influenced by what insiders experience and perceive as process "friction", i.e., how many steps and challenges it takes to get something done. Common processes, like sending an encrypted attachment should be easy (low friction) to do securely, while dire actions, like deleting a key database, should be difficult (high friction). This research-backed book illuminates critical ways to understand and manage organizational friction. Security and HR professionals can apply this to improve how employees perceive and behave securely and effectively. [external purchase required]
Security Culture, 25-item, assessment survey (2023)
For assessing Organizational Security Culture, there’s a reasonably valid and reliable 25-item instrument in this journal articles by Chen & Tyran (2023), “A Framework for Analyzing and Improving Information Security Policy (ISP) Compliance”.
For details on why the 25-items have a stronger scientific foundation than most other measures of Security Culture, read the Sutton & Tompson (2025) article, “Towards a Cybersecurity Culture-Behaviour Framework: A Rapid Evidence Review.
Recommendation: Supplement Security Culture surveys with qualitative assessments, small focus groups, and Behavioral Observation Scales (BOS)
[both articles are free unless your institution does not subscribe to the journals]
The Expanding Spectrum of Espionage by Americans, 1947 – 2015 (2017 Technical Report) by K. Herbig
Considered a classic in the field of espionage studies, it was produced by the Defense Personnel and Security Research Center (PERSEREC), directed by Dr. Eric Lang.
Part 1 presents characteristics of Americans who committed espionage-related offenses from 1947-2015.
Part 2 explores five types of espionage committed by 209 individuals: classic espionage, leaks, acting as an agent of a foreign government, violations of export control laws, and economic espionage. Each type is described by its legal bases, and examples of cases and comparisons with the other types of espionage are provided.
Part 3 considers the impact of the changing context in which espionage takes place, and discusses two important developments: information and communications technologies (ICT) and globalization.
This report updates the Expanding Spectrum of Espionage analysis. Focusing on DoD cases, it broadens the scope of insider threat cases to include any type of intentional unauthorized removal of classified material. The analyses and report were produced by the Defense Personnel and Security Research Center (PERSEREC), directed by Dr. Eric Lang. This research identified potential intervention points along perpetrators’ pathways to criminal behavior, and provides operationally relevant, empirically based recommendations to improve detection, prevention, and mitigation of these types of Insider Threats.
This classic, hard-to-find, report--coauthored by Dr. Eric Shaw as a contractor to PERSEREC--offers an overview and analysis of 10 significant cases of trust betrayal. The cases in question were information technology (IT) insider events in which an insider or former insider, having had legitimate access to a critical information system, abused or violated that trust for personal advantage or to exact revenge on a person or organization. In each case the actions of a disgruntled or self-interested offender seriously damaged or compromised the operability of a critical information system. Also included in this report is a discussion of common themes and patterns emerging from the examination of these incidents under five general headings corresponding to clusters of significant issues or lessons emerging from the substance of the case narratives: (1) Subject and Attack Characteristics, (2) Screening, (3) Attack Detection, (4) Organizational and Social Environment, and (5) Personnel Management Issues.
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Structured Professional Judgment Tools--A Reference Guide (2022 Report) by R. Borum, et al
To understand, assess, and prevent workplace violence, this researched-based guide helps organizations that have (or plan to develop) an insider risk evaluation team.
Workplace violence events often reveal that, prior to an incident, the perpetrator exhibited behaviors and communications of concern. However, security, HR, and other staff either failed to recognize the potential threat or failed to take effective action to mitigate the risk of violence.
This guide provides an overview of violence risk assessment along with descriptions and evaluations of these six popular tools for Violence Risk Assessment (VRA) and Threat Assessment (TA):
1. Historical Clinical Risk Management-20, Version 3 (HCR-20V3)
2. Short-Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability (START )
3. Spousal Assault Risk Assessment Guide, Version 3 (SARA-V3)
4. Workplace Assessment of Violence Risk-21, Version 3 (WAVR-21 V3)
5. Terrorism Radicalization Assessment Protocol-18 (TRAP-18)
6. Brief Spousal Assault Form for the Evaluation of Risk (B-SAFER)
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More Resources coming soon!
News (2025-Present)
* 2025 Events & Announcements *
Dr. Lang appointed to Advisory Board for Logical Commander (Israel)
Dr. Lang will give an invited presentation on 02Dec2025 (Dec 3rd in Australia) at Pentagram Advisory's Insider Threat Workshop. [Australia, virtual]
Dr. Lang will give an invited presentation on 16Sep2025 at the Canadian Insider Risk 2025 Summit. [Toronto, Canada, in-person]
Dr. Lang appointed to Advisory Board of Scandinavian Recruitment Intelligence (Sweden)
Dr. Lang appointed to Advisory Board of Pentagram Advisory (Australia)
Dr. Lang announces retirement from government service
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For additional updates and insights, follow Dr. Lang on LinkedIn
Useful Websites
Insider Threat Resources from the U.S. Gov National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC)
Insider Threat resources from the U.S. Gov Center for Development of Security Excellence (CDSE)
Insider Threat resources from the U.K. Gov National Protective Security Authority (NPSA)
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More Resources coming soon!
Affiliates
Prosocial Science International (PSI) partners with highly qualified organizations and individuals to assist, as appropriate, with client's interests.
Dr. Lang also serves on Advisory Boards and holds honorary affiliations with the following organizations. (click on a logo for more information)
Testimonials
Dr. Lang has given hundreds of presentations and briefings.
Here are examples of recent feedback (2024-2025) from the private sector, governments, and academe.
"[we] found your presentation to be truly outstanding—it stands out as the most impactful event in terms of audience response and engagement we have seen in the past two years."
(2024, Directors of an Australian security company)
"Your briefing and the broad knowledge of Insider Threats that you shared with our team was very well-received and thought-provoking. Many in attendance said it was their favorite presentation of the week. You informed us, you entertained us, and you directly contributed to our ability to protect the National Airspace System. Your knowledge of the subject matter is astounding, and we are very grateful for the effort you undertook to spend time with us. We are indeed honored to have you as another partner in the industry."
(2024, Federal Aviation Administration, Executive Director, Office of Personnel Security)
"Your ['Seven Science-Based Commandments' journal article] was not only fascinating but also resonated deeply with our team. We strongly support your stance that emphasizing human factors is essential, far beyond relying solely on technological solutions."
(2024, Microsoft)
“I sincerely enjoyed [Dr. Lang’s] presentation…for myself it was the highlight of the Summit.”
(2024, Canadian VP attending Canadian Summit in Toronto)
"Thank you for making your insights, research, best practices, and wisdom available for the whole of government. I have personally witnessed the preventative impact of your team’s steadfast efforts and published products. Our programs have benefited from your intellect, management, and creativity."
(2025, an Executive, Government Mediation)
"Your Keynote was the highlight of the Insider Threat 8 Summit...thank you for all your dedication to our Insider Threat & Insider Risk Management community!”
(2024, Summit organizer)
"favourite speaker"; “Fascinating! Really appreciated the practical recommendations for how to implement effective policies.”
(2023, Carleton University graduate students attending a webinar by Dr. Lang)
"Your impact on national security through the decades cannot be overstated. [the research center you directed] has provided critical information for the conduct of personnel security, counterintelligence, and insider threat programs throughout the US Gov."
(2024, DoD Senior Official)
"Your talk was undeniably a hit. The feedback I've gotten from our evaluations lets me know your presentation was the highlight of the entire event!"
(2024, Security Summit organizer)
"your presentation was awesome!"
(2024, Dept of Energy, Director, Insider Threat Program)
"I was fascinated by your briefing at Dept of Homeland Security conference...thanks for providing such a thought provoking briefing"
(2024, Senior Exec, Information Security Oversight Office)
"Excellent presentation. The audience was thoroughly engaged throughout the call and several attendees wrote me afterwards to say how much they enjoyed the session. I also found it extremely helpful and informative."
(2024, Microsoft, Principal Program Manager)
"very insightful and you gave our organization quite a bit to think about"; "very helpful and thought provoking!"
(2024, two senior security managers, Charles Schwab & Co, Inc)
“Special appreciation goes to the genius, one and only, Dr. Eric Lang ... for his insightful and up-to-the-point moderation of the panel.”
(2024, Insider Threat Summit, invited international panel expert)
"Awesome interesting presentation!" ; "Great presentation"
(Australian Gov Manager; and a faculty member from the University of Leicester, Iceland), (2024, international webinar hosted by an Australian group)
"You made such an amazing impact during your stay here in Stockholm. It takes more than a brief comment here to summarize the tons of knowledge you brought to our summit and our closed sessions"
(2024, CEO & Partner, SRI, Sweden)
"Your presentation was insightful, informative, and very positively received among our supervisors. The information you provided was widely relevant to their individual scenarios and they all thoroughly enjoyed your time with us!"
(2024, Chief, Personnel Security Division, Dept of Homeland Security)
"Your lifelong dedication to applying social psychology for the betterment of organizations and national security is truly remarkable. I’m especially inspired by your global contributions and leadership in advancing insider threat understanding—powerful and purposeful work." (2025, IT Exec, India)
"Thanks for the collaboration and sharing your insights. You make people think. And you indeed have made the world a safer place." (2025, Security Manager, international nuclear industry, Netherlands)
Contact
Science should benefit everyone...PSI supports diversity.
Reach out to us with inquiries or to schedule a consultation. We are happy to help.
