Tom Carlson

Tom Carlson is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Social Sciences, Economics and Law at Åbo Akademi University, Finland, where he is affiliated with the Social Sciences division. He is actively contributing to research in political communication, digital media, and public opinion, with a strong emphasis on visual and emotional aspects of political content on social media platforms.

His research interests span a wide array of topics including political communication, affective polarization, crisis leadership, and digital political behavior. He employs advanced methodologies such as eye-tracking and facial expression analysis to understand how citizens perceive political leaders and content online. His work frequently explores the role of Instagram, Twitter, and other platforms in shaping political impressions and emotional responses.

The analysis of his recent publications reveals a consistent focus on emotional and visual dimensions of political communication, particularly in Nordic and Finnish electoral contexts. Themes such as populism, youth engagement, personalization of leaders, and pandemic-era crisis communication recur across his work, demonstrating a cohesive research trajectory centered on the intersection of psychology, media, and politics.

Scientific Awards:

• No scientific awards or honors were mentioned in the provided text.

Advising and Grants: While no formal list of students is provided, Tom Carlson is actively involved in research mentoring through collaborative projects. He is a Co-Investigator in the EmoAffect project (2022–2026), funded by the Academy of Finland, which investigates discrete emotions in affective polarization. This project highlights his role in securing competitive research funding and contributing to high-impact interdisciplinary research.

Labs and Research Teams: Tom Carlson is part of a dynamic research network involving scholars from Åbo Akademi and other Nordic institutions. His collaborations with researchers like Kim Strandberg, Johan Lindholm, and others suggest involvement in a well-established team focused on digital political behavior, visual communication, and public opinion analysis. The use of eye-tracking and experimental methods implies access to specialized labs for behavioral and cognitive research in political science.