Hello!
My name is Lea Pradella, I am a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Department of Political Science at Aarhus University, Denmark.
My research lies at the intersection of political science, psychology, and communication. I am fascinated by the processes underlying political interactions among citizens. Why, how, and when do these interactions take place? How do they unfold, and what factors contribute to constructive dialogue or hostility? What are the consequences of these interactions for society and democracy?
I am currently involved in two major research projects at Aarhus University:
Research on Online Political Hostility (ROPH) Project - here, we investigate how social media platform designs influence political interactions among citizens, with a particular focus on the dynamics of face-to-face versus chat-based interactions.
Partisan Peer Pressure and Affective Polarization (PEERPOL) Project - here, we investigate how peer-to-peer conversations shape political and affective polarization.
My PhD Dissertation “Understanding the Other Side: Empathy Across The Political Divide”, laid the foundation for my research agenda and explores the causes and consequences of empathy in interactions between political opponents.
In my research, I use quantitative methods, specializing in surveys and survey experiments. Additionally, I am currently expanding my skills in quantitative text analysis and exploring quasi-experimental designs and field experiments to study political interactions in real-world settings.
If you are interested in my research or a potential collaboration, please reach out!
Interests
- Political Psychology
- Political Behavior
- Political Communication
- Empathy
- Inter-group Relations
- Social Media Behavior
- Experimental Methods
- Causal Inference
Education
- PhD Political Science
Aarhus University, Denmark - MSc Political Science
Aarhus University, Denmark - BA Political Science, Minor in Psychology
University of Mannheim, Germany
Latest update: March 2025