Research Stream “Social INTERACTIONS”
Illustration Menschen Einstein Research Unit Coping with Affective Polarization

Lead Coordinator:
Prof. Dr. Christian von Scheve

Principle Investigators:
Prof. Dr. Denis Gerstorf, Prof. Dr. Ursula Hess, Prof. Dr. Jan Slaby, Prof. Dr. Christian von Scheve

Postdoctoral Researcher:
Dr. Stefanie Hechler

Doctoral Researcher:
Diego Dametto

Social encounters play a key role in affective polarization. While positive interactions between individuals with opposing political views are often seen as a way to reduce hostility, such interactions can also reinforce polarization. We focus on nonverbal behavior and emotional expressions in political encounters. Specifically, we study emotional contagion and social mimicry to understand how emotions are transferred between individuals. In political contexts, these emotional exchanges can foster social cohesion and mutual understanding, but they may also contribute to the rise of collective emotions and political mobilization.

Research Questions and Objectives

The Research Stream “Social Interactions” seeks to advance our understanding of the psycho-social mechanisms that shape social interactions within and between politicized groups, and how those influence affective polarization. Our research activities are guided by various research questions, such as:

  • How do nonverbal behaviors in face-to-face discussions about emotionally charged political issues shape affective polarization and political attitudes?

  • What role does emotional mimicry – the imitation of nonverbal behaviors of others – play in political debates and how does it affect cooperation?

  • How do political interactions take place in everyday encounters, and which effects do they have on political thinking?

  • How does the experience of political controversies contribute to affective polarization?

Our interdisciplinary research team tackles such guiding questions by focusing on four main research areas:

Emotionalized political debates between opposing groups are often seen as a key driver of affective polarization, potentially hindering constructive dialogue. We investigate how face-to-face interactions shape political conflict and mutual liking, focusing on nonverbal behavior in randomized laboratory experiments.

In face-to-face interactions, nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions, are key in shaping social relations. We explore how automatic emotion expression influences interactions between political opponents and like-minded individuals. Using electromyography (EMG) to measure facial muscle contractions, we detect these subtle reactions. We also examine how social mimicry, which signals closeness, affects the willingness to collaborate across political divides.

While laboratory studies have provided valuable insights, we know less about how everyday political interactions influence emotional dynamics in real-world settings. Using an experience sampling approach, we examine whether lab-observed behaviors align with real-life political encounters and if everyday interactions can help explain patterns found in laboratory research.

We compare our lab and experience sampling findings with data from the Berlin Polarization Monitor to explore how social interactions and specific emotions
(e.g. anger, hate) shape affective polarization and relate to different relationship types and forms of political engagement. By using the longitudinal Monitor data, we also track how social interactions and intergroup or intragroup emotions evolve over time in response to changing social and political contexts.

Research Streams