Lucas Köhler
Postdoctoral Researcher
Short Vita
In my research, I primarily focus on perceptions of morality and justice and their connections to political attitudes and collective behavior. Additionally, I am interested in the psychology of (right-wing) radicalization and affective polarization.
What I find exciting about this research initiative
I am fascinated by this research project because we need to examine affective polarization from various disciplinary perspectives to understand the phenomenon and develop targeted interventions. Affective polarization is closely linked to personality and social psychological processes. I will mainly focus on the question of how empathy can both have a de-escalating effect by fostering perspective-taking and at the same time reinforce polarization when it is selectively directed toward one’s own group.
What my discipline can contribute to this research initiative
Personality and social psychology can make a significant contribution to better understanding affective polarization and developing effective strategies to address it. On the one hand, personality psychology enables the identification of individual characteristics that make people more susceptible or more resilient to affective polarization. On the other hand, social psychology examines which situational and group dynamic processes reinforce or mitigate affective polarization. By combining both perspectives, targeted interventions can be developed that are tailored to both individual dispositions and social contexts.
