Frank Mols

Dr. Frank Mols is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Political Science & International Studies at the University of Queensland, where he also serves as Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. His research spans political psychology, voter behavior, leadership studies, and public policy, with a particular focus on applying social identity theory to understand political phenomena. He has published extensively in top journals and co-authored the influential 2017 book "The Wealth Paradox."

Dr. Mols holds a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Exeter. His academic journey has led him to become a recognized expert in political psychology and behavior, with particular expertise in understanding voter attitudes toward populist parties and the psychological foundations of political leadership.

Dr. Mols' research primarily focuses on political psychology and behavior, examining how social identity theory can explain voter attitudes, leadership preferences, and EU integration perspectives. His work explores the psychological mechanisms behind political polarization, the appeal of populist movements, and the impact of economic inequality on political attitudes. He has made significant contributions to understanding why economically prosperous individuals might support anti-immigrant policies and populist parties, challenging conventional wisdom about the "losers of globalization" thesis.

His recent publications reveal a consistent focus on social identity theory applications in political contexts, with particular attention to leadership dynamics, economic inequality effects, and EU attitudes. The research shows an evolution from early work on EU integration toward broader examinations of political psychology, populism, and inequality. A notable trend is the increasing interdisciplinary nature of his work, bridging political science with social psychology to develop more nuanced understandings of political behavior.

Dr. Mols has received significant research funding through Australian Research Council Discovery Projects, including grants for "Inequality: Consequences for societies' social and political vitality" (2017-2019) and "How economic prosperity hardens attitudes towards minorities" (2012-2014). His research has had substantial impact beyond academia, with regular media appearances and contributions to public discourse through blogs on platforms like Democratic Audit UK and LSE's impact of social science research.

As an academic supervisor, Dr. Mols has guided multiple PhD students through completion and currently oversees additional doctoral research. His supervision portfolio reflects his diverse research interests, spanning topics from open data policy to Indonesia's political development and Estonia's European integration experience. His approach to supervision appears to emphasize the application of political psychology frameworks to diverse policy contexts.

Dr. Mols is affiliated with the Social Identity and Groups Network (SIGN) Research Centre within the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences, demonstrating his commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration. His work with this network likely informs his application of social identity theory to political phenomena, creating synergies between psychological and political science approaches.