Mark Brandt

Dr. Mark Brandt is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Michigan State University (MSU), with affiliation to the Minority Politics joint program between Political Science and Psychology. He holds a PhD in Experimental Psychology from DePaul University (2012), an MA in Psychology from DePaul (2010), and a BA in Psychology from Concordia University (2007).

His research focuses on belief systems, investigating how ideological and moral beliefs—such as political ideology, racism, religious fundamentalism, and moral conviction—influence attitudes, behaviors, and meaning-making. The Belief Systems Lab (https://tbslaboratory.com/) explores topics including threat perception’s relationship to political attitudes, the structure of belief networks, and the dynamics of ideological polarization. His work emphasizes empirical rigor and transparency, contributing to debates in political psychology and social cognition.

Recent studies examine whether threats increase conservatism, mismatches in personality and prejudice, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on political psychology. His publications span cross-cultural comparisons of European belief systems, the role of moral humility in reducing political divisions, and the interplay between cognition and political animosity.

Dr. Brandt advocates for methodological innovation, including large-scale replication projects and longitudinal studies to advance the reliability of psychological research. His work is accessible via Google Scholar (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=_qHgIbAAAAAJ&hl=en) and the Belief Systems Lab’s website.