معرفی
Professor Emma Thomas is a leading social psychologist at Flinders University in the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, where she holds the Matthew Flinders Professorship and an Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellowship (2025-2030). She directs the Flinders Social Influence and Social Change Lab and contributes to leadership roles in the Jeff Bleich Centre for Democracy and Disruptive Technologies and the Flinders Institute for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
- Education: BA (Hons) and PhD in Psychology (2005, 2009) from the Australian National University
Her research bridges social and political psychology, focusing on collective action, political engagement, and extremism dynamics. Key areas include:
- Emotional drivers (anger, hope) in social change
- Online radicalization and misinformation
- Democratic resilience amid technological shifts
- UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) contributions
Recent publications examine:
- Politicization in digital democracies
- Conspiracy beliefs' impact on political systems
- Intergroup cooperation in cross-cultural contexts
- Psychological implications of minority rights
Awards include the South Australian Tall Poppy Science Award (2018). She serves as Associate Editor at Political Psychology and previously at British Journal of Social Psychology, with ARC-funded projects on radicalization and civic engagement.
