I had a great time at the @ispp-pops.bsky.social conference in Prague last week! I presented a paper on value framing in Swiss voting guides and left feeling inspired by the people, projects, and conversations.

Thank you to everyone who made ISPP 2025 such a fantastic event! #ISPP2025

Die Wichtigkeit solcher Themen wird leider noch viel zu oft ignoriert! Vielen Dank @nathalieherren.bsky.social für deine Offenheit und deinen Mut 🩷

This study is a first step in understanding how personal values shape conspiratorial thinking, shedding light on the psychological roots of conspiracy beliefs.

Please check it out! #Values #ConspiracyTheories #HumanValues 6/

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

The results suggest that differences in conspiracy beliefs stem from a complex interplay of psychological, political, cultural, and regional factors—rather than a single explanation tied to one variable.

Context shapes how values influence beliefs, highlighting the need for a nuanced approach. 5/

The findings indicate that country-specific factors play a key role in shaping this relationship. Social, political, and cultural influences likely drive these inconsistencies.

To explore this, I conduct an initial exploratory, descriptive analysis. #PoliticalPsychology #ComparativePolitics 4/

In contrast, those prioritizing personal gain, power (self-enhancement), or novelty and excitement (openness to change) are more likely to hold conspiracy beliefs.

However, these patterns vary across countries, challenging the assumption that values influence beliefs uniformly. Context matters 3/

Using ESS data from 20 European democracies and Schwartz's Value Theory, I analyze how personal values shape conspiracy beliefs.
Findings: Those prioritizing tradition (conservation) or others' well-being (self-transcendence) are significantly less likely to endorse conspiracy theories. 2/

That happened much faster than expected 🎉
My second article—and first solo-authored piece—is out! 🚀

What makes some people more prone to conspiracy beliefs than others?
How do personal values shape these beliefs across Europe? /1
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

1/4. We are excited to share our latest publication: "Divided by Morality? Moral Foundations of Affective Polarisation During Hard Times in Politics", by @victoriahaerter.bsky.social
@mfilsinger.bsky.social and @freitagmarkus.bsky.social

@polstudiesassoc.bsky.social
@sagepub.com

Our study sheds light on the psychological roots of #AffectivePolarization.

Understanding how moral foundations shape group perceptions is key to tackling polarization in public health & beyond #Polarization #MoralPsychology #Vaccination
Check out the full article here: doi.org/10.1177/0263...

Interestingly, both sides believe that the other has violated fundamental principles of justice.

As a result, they see the out-group as selfish, narrow-minded, and unwilling to compromise, deepening the divide

This is unexpected!

Care & fairness are usually linked to inclusivity & prosociality, but here they seem to reinforce polarization rather than bridge it. Why?

When people perceive that their own moral foundations of fairness & harm reduction are threatened—it intensifies polarization /3

Our analyses reveal an affective divide between supporters and opponents of #COVID19 vaccinations.

But surprisingly, it’s not the binding moral foundations (loyalty, authority, sanctity) that fuel this divide—it's the individualizing foundations (care, fairness) /2

Well, it's a first—thrilled to see my first ever article published🎉

How do people perceive the external groups of vaccine supporters and opponents? And how do their own moral foundations shape these perceptions?
Joint work with @freitagmarkus.bsky.social & @mfilsinger.bsky.social /1

Our analyses reveal an affective divide between supporters and opponents of #COVID19 vaccinations.
But surprisingly, it’s not the binding moral foundations (loyalty, authority, sanctity) that fuel this divide—it's the individualizing foundations (care, fairness) /2

Happy to have presented our paper on value frames in voting guides at #SPSA2025. This project is special to me—not only because I applied my expertise in Large Language Models, but also because I have the chance to collaborate with a truly great friend @ivasrbinovska.bsky.social

Combining work with the charm of one of my favorite cities—what more could I ask for? I had an amazing time connecting with inspiring minds and diving deep into diverse areas of political science @alinazumbrunn.bsky.social @marta-antonova.bsky.social

A question frequently discussed in our group: As political scientists, when is it appropriate to express personal opinions? Can we share our views on issues that matter to us beyond our university role?