Centre for Social Cognitive Studies

08/09/2026

A new paper in Research on Aging by Giovanni Telesca and colleagues!

Italy has the highest share of older adults in the European Union, making population aging one of its biggest societal challenges. Understanding what drives (or discourages) volunteering among older adults matters, as this activity is linked to better physical and cognitive health and can support active aging and well-being. Moreover, while overall volunteering rates in the country have declined over the past decade, participation in this age group has bucked this trend.
For this reason, the research involved 700 Italians aged 60–74, comparing those who volunteers and those who do not, and examining psychological motivations, social-cognitive beliefs, and socio-demographic factors connected to previous experience in volunteering.
Results showed that people who felt they had the skills and opportunity to volunteer, and who enjoyed it for its own sake, were more likely to have volunteered in the past. Those planning to volunteer in the future were mainly driven by what people close to them thought, positive attitudes toward volunteering, and a sense that this activity fit who they are. Education, income, and health also played a role, suggesting a kind of cumulative advantage: those with more resources over their lifetime find it easier to start volunteering. Better self-reported health, in fact, was linked to both past volunteering and stronger future intentions.
Among non-volunteers, lack of time, health problems, and family obligations were the most common barriers, but not knowing anyone who volunteers, or any organization to join, was also a major one. Having social networks (for example, being part of religious communities) seemed to matter beyond individual motivations, suggesting that developing and maintaining social ties in older adulthood is a key goal for promoting volunteering and active aging. Also, prior volunteering was by far the strongest predictor of wanting to continue, highlighting how a first positive experience can set off a self-reinforcing cycle of engagement.

Find a link in comments.
Congrats!

12/08/2026

A new paper in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin by our lab members!

While we usually focus on the content of our political beliefs - like arguing over tax cuts or environmental policy - a new study across the U.S., Poland, and India reveals that the secret to political conviction lies in how our minds organize these ideas. By analyzing how citizens process dozens political issues, researchers discovered that psychology of ideological beliefs relies on just two main pillars: importance (how deeply an issue connects to our identity and core values) and metacognitive difficulty (how hard or easy it feels to take a stance). In contrast to theory-based expectations, certainty did not emerge as a separate pillar: in the United States, certainty items split between the two other pillars, whereas in Poland and India, importance and certainty coalesced. These uncovered pillars had important consequences: when an issue feels deeply important and it is easy to think about it, our views are more extreme, and importance alone acts as the primary psychological driving force for people to engage for a cause. These findings offer a comprehensive framework for understanding how ideological beliefs are held.

Links to the paper in the comment

Congrats!

22/06/2026

Czy można zmniejszyć społeczną polaryzację? Jeśli tak, w jaki sposób?

Zapraszamy do zapoznania się z artykułem na stronie Forum Akademickie, opisującym badania zespołu pod kierownictwem Laury Schafer, których współautorami byli Marcin Bukowski oraz Anna Potoczek, opublikowanym w czasopiśmie PNAS Nexus.

Link w komentarzu

18/06/2026

A new paper in PNAX Nexus co-authored by Marcin Bukowski and Anna Potoczek!

Social polarization has become one of the greatest challenges facing modern democracies. A new study conducted by researchers from several European universities, including the Jagiellonian University, suggests that even highly divided societies can reduce hostility between opposing groups by strengthening what psychologists call inclusivity norms.

The study, published in the journal PNAS Nexus, surveyed more than 12,000 participants from 12 European countries. Researchers examined attitudes toward some of today's most contentious issues, such as climate change, migration, refugee policies, gender equality, transgender rights, COVID-19 vaccination, and meat consumption.

The researchers focused on perceptions of societal norms promoting respect, equality, dialogue, and a shared sense of community despite ideological differences. They found that individuals who perceived their society as more inclusive were more tolerant of people with opposing views, less likely to avoid ideological opponents, and more willing to cooperate with them.

Importantly, these effects were observed even among individuals who held strong ideological convictions, were less accepting of diversity, or strongly identified with their own political group. According to the authors, this suggests that norms encouraging mutual respect and dialogue can serve as a protective factor against the negative consequences of polarization.

The findings highlight an important implication: reducing social conflict does not necessarily require changing people's private beliefs. Instead, fostering social norms that encourage respectful coexistence and cooperation may help maintain democratic societies even in times of deep disagreement.

In an era shaped by social media echo chambers and growing political divisions, strengthening inclusivity norms may be one of the most effective ways to promote constructive dialogue and social cohesion.

Full article: https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article/5/4/pgag087/8541943?login=true

Learn more: https://www.uj.edu.pl/wiadomosci/-/journal_content/56_INSTANCE_d82lKZvhit4m/10172/161142587

10/06/2026

A new paper in Group Processes & Intergroup Relations by Maciej Sekerdej and Carmen Tabernero!

The aim of this research was to examine the interrelationships between regional, national, and European identities in the Basque Country (Study 1) and Catalonia (Study 2) using the Social Identity Complexity model. Across two studies (total N = 1200), the authors found that the greater the perceived similarity and overlap between regional and national identification, the stronger the identification with Europe. A more detailed analysis showed that this relationship was positively mediated by national identification. A parallel negative mediation via both regional identification and glorifying regional identification was weaker and less consistent. Moreover, greater perceived similarity to Spain, together with higher levels of identity overlap, was associated with more harmonious attitudes toward other autonomous communities and European nations. In Study 2, these findings were further interpreted through the lens of the Ingroup Projection Model, indicating that for Catalans, Europe—rather than Spain—functions as the primary point of reference.

Congratulations!

Link: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13684302261451127 -contributors

13/03/2026

A new paper in Political Behavior coauthored by our lab member - Gabriela Czarnek!

When authoritarian-minded governments capture public media, can reforms rebuild public trust after they fall from power? In Poland, the Law and Justice party spent years turning public television into a partisan mouthpiece — a textbook case of democratic backsliding. A study of Polish viewers found that after the 2023 transition to a pro-democratic government, reforms narrowed the partisan divide in public media trust: while P*S supporters became somewhat less trusting and new government supporters somewhat more so, source cue effects were no longer significant — suggesting that the public television brand had become effectively neutral, rather than simply captured by a new political side.

You can access the publication here: https://rdcu.be/e7RiB

Congrats!

06/03/2026

A new paper coauthored by our lab member - Marcin Bukowski!

See below and learn how compensation programs can build trust and perceived control to sustain coexistence with brown bears 🐻 in Poland 🇵🇱

The recovery of large carnivore populations in Europe often leads to conflicts with the primary sector. Compensation for livestock and agricultural losses is a common mitigation tool, but its impact on tolerance and support for conservation remains unclear. The authors investigated brown bear damage to apiaries in the Polish Carpathians by surveying beekeepers in areas of bear presence. Using statistical modelling, they examined how emotional and cognitive responses to damage and compensation experiences shape tolerance and behavioural intentions towards bear conservation. They found that experiencing damage and receiving compensation was associated with higher risk perceptions and greater trust in the management administration. Whereas negative intentions were more likely when tolerance was low and fear was high, conservation support was positively associated with tolerance and perceived control. These findings suggest that conservation authorities can improve coexistence by relying on non-lethal strategies that minimize risk, build trust and foster a sense of control.

Congrats!

Read the full paper here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13280-025-02333-3

29/12/2025

A new paper by our lab members in Journal of Social and Political Psychology!

Drawing on goal systems theory (Kruglanski et al., 2002), this preregistered study explored the relationships between political and non-political goals among individuals with varying levels of political engagement. The authors conducted 40 semi-structured qualitative interviews with activists, non-activists, and former activists from Poland and Norway. They identify three recurrent relationships between political and other life goals, such as work, relationships, health, and basic psychological needs: (1) suppression, where non-political goals eclipse activism or vice-versa; (2) conflict, experienced as chronic trade-offs that often precipitate burnout; and (3) facilitation, whereby non-political goals enable sustained engagement. These relationships manifest as four distinct goal structures. Activists typically displayed either a “juggling” structure that continuously balances multiple commitments, or a “political-dominant” structure in which the cause overrides alternative goals. Non-activists most often subordinated political aims, whereas former activists described a fluctuating “all-or-nothing” structure—initial single-minded commitment followed by strategic withdrawal when costs outweighed perceived impact. Cross-nationally, Polish participants reported more multi-issue activism and acute work–activism conflicts than Norwegians, potentially reflecting longer working hours and political dissatisfaction. These findings corroborate goal systems theory by showing how dynamic configurations of goal relations underpin trajectories of engagement, disengagement and re-engagement.

Congratulations!

Link to the article: https://jspp.psychopen.eu/index.php/jspp/article/view/15491

05/12/2025

Dr Gabriela Czarnek’s, a researcher at the Institute of Psychology and a member of our Centre, article has just been published in Nature – one of the most prestigious scientific journals in the world!

In the paper “Persuading Voters using Human-AI Dialogues”, an international research team – including Dr Czarnek – shows that even a short conversation with an AI chatbot can shift voters’ preferences, and does so more effectively than traditional political advertising.

The study included approximately six thousand participants from the United States, Canada, and Poland. In its messages, the AI referred to factual information and relied less frequently on other persuasion techniques. However, not all of the information provided by the AI was accurate. In every country studied, AI models advocating for right-wing candidates more often presented false claims than models promoting centrist candidates.

The article is an important contribution to the discussion about the impact of AI on elections and the consequences this may have for democracy.

Link and citation
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09771-9

Lin, H., Czarnek, G., Lewis, B., White, J, P., Berinsky, A, J., Costello, A., Pennycook, G., Rand, G, D. (2025). Persuading voters using human–artificial intelligence dialogues. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09771-9

Congratulations!

Artykuł dr Gabrieli Czarnek, badaczki z Instytutu Psychologii UJ, właśnie ukazał się w Nature – jednym z najbardziej prestiżowych czasopism naukowych na świecie!

W publikacji „Persuading Voters using Human-AI Dialogues” międzynarodowy zespół – z udziałem dr Czarnek – pokazuje, że nawet krótka rozmowa z chatbotem AI może zmieniać preferencje wyborców, i robi to skuteczniej niż tradycyjne reklamy polityczne.

Badanie objęło około sześć tysięcy osób z USA, Kanady i Polski. AI w swoich komunikatach w odwoływało się do faktów, a stosunkowo rzadziej korzystało z innych technik perswazji. Jednak nie wszystkie przedstawiane przez AI informacje były zgodne z prawdą. W każdym z badanych krajów modele AI opowiadające się za kandydatami prawicowymi częściej przedstawiały nieprawdziwe twierdzenia, niż modele promujące kandydatów centrowych.

Artykuł stanowi ważny głos w dyskusji o wpływie AI na wybory oraz o konsekwencjach, jakie może to nieść dla demokracji.

Link do publikacji:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09771-9

Lin, H., Czarnek, G., Lewis, B., White, J, P., Berinsky, A, J., Costello, A., Pennycook, G., Rand, G, D. (2025). Persuading voters using human–artificial intelligence dialogues. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09771-9

[EN]
Dr Gabriela Czarnek’s, a researcher at the Institute of Psychology, article has just been published in Nature – one of the most prestigious scientific journals in the world!

In the paper “Persuading Voters using Human-AI Dialogues”, an international research team – including Dr Czarnek – shows that even a short conversation with an AI chatbot can shift voters’ preferences, and does so more effectively than traditional political advertising.

The study involved six thousands participants in the US, Canada, and Poland. AI models were providing personalised, polite and fact-based dialogues. However, not all of the information provided by the AI was accurate. In all three countries, AI models advocating for right-leaning candidates more often presented false claims than models promoting centrist candidates.

This article is a contribution to the discussion about the impact of AI on elections and the consequences it may have for democracy.

Link to publication:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09771-9

Lin, H., Czarnek, G., Lewis, B., White, J, P., Berinsky, A, J., Costello, A., Pennycook, G., Rand, G, D. (2025). Persuading voters using human–artificial intelligence dialogues. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09771-9

Centre for Social Cognitive Studies | Behaviour in Crisis Lab | Instytut Psychologii UJ | Wydział Filozoficzny Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego | Uniwersytet Jagielloński

18/11/2025

A new paper in International Journal of Social Psychology coauthored by our lab members!

The authors tested motivations and conditions of helping intention towards refugees from Ukraine in three Central European countries. The aim was twofold: to test how personal, moral and politicized motivation predicted sustainability of helping, and how these motivations were connected to conditionality of helping, specifically to stereotypical expectations of refugees to fit the image of the helpless but grateful help recipients. They anticipated that helpers with politicized motivation have lower stereotypical expectations of refugees than those with personal motivation, while lower personal motivation predicts higher long-term engagement, mediated by fewer stereotypical expectations. Our online survey in Hungary (n = 2,261), Slovakia (n = 712) and Poland (n = 402) targeted people who were active in helping Ukrainian refugees. Politicized motivation predicted lower stereotypical expectations in Hungary but not in the Slovakia and Poland. Personal motivation predicted higher stereotypical expectations, which in turn predicted lower long-term prosocial action in all contexts. Authors argue that helpers who apply a double standard in helping to a lesser extent (by lower stereotypical expectations of refugees) would sustain their engagement more.

The article is available here – check it out! https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/02134748251376978