What we get wrong about polarization and why it matters

Jeff Lees, Eedan Amit-Danhi and Olga Pasitselska

If people are convinced that society is hopelessly split on an issue, like the existence of global warming, how does that change the way we act? Mis- and disinformation campaigns have played a central role in influencing public understanding of complex issues, from political conflict to election integrity to climate change. Such campaigns actively shape the public perception of how divided society is on key issues. While the spread of inaccurate information can directly sway beliefs, it can also produce a subtler and potentially more damaging effect: false polarization, or the belief that an issue is far more polarized than it really is. If most people actually agree on the basic facts, why do so many assume they’re in the minority? And how does that perception keep the majority quiet, leaving space for a vocal minority to dominate?

The evening includes three short presentations on mis/disinformation. Jeff Lees will reveal the psychology behind political belief traps, Eedan Amit-Danhi teaches us how to navigate misleading visualization, and Olga Pasitselska will go into how climate-denialist propaganda flourishes in authoritarian regimes. Moderator is Marilia Gehrke.

Jeff Lees is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Resource Management & Organizational Behavior (UG) who studies “belief traps,” the gap between how people perceive social reality and how it actually is. His research shows how these misperceptions fuel polarization, conflict, and unsustainable behaviors in organizations, politics, and society at large. 

Olga Pasitselska is Assistant Professor in Social Media & Politics (UG), specializing in how mediated communication shapes political belief and polarization. Her research explores how people interpret and renegotiate propagandistic narratives focusing on how trust, identity, and everyday interaction steer opinion formation and polarization.

Eedan Amit-Danhi is an Assistant Professor of Digital Humanities and Media at the Centre for Media and Journalism Studies (UG). A self-described “lifelong design enthusiast and political geek,” her research focuses on how people learn about politics through data visualizations and infographics. Her research spans visualizations, infographics, digital politics, user engagement, visual communication, and future-oriented rhetoric. 

Marilia Gehrke is an Assistant Professor at the Centre for Media and Journalism Studies at the University of Groningen, where she researches topics such as data and AI journalism, fact-checking, and disinformation, particularly gendered disinformation.