Dr Aleksandra Cichocka received her PhD in Psychology from the University of Warsaw in 2013. During her doctoral studies she was a Fulbright Fellow at New York University. After completing her PhD, she joined Kent, where she leads the Political Psychology Lab. She currently serves as Vice President of the International Society of Political Psychology.
Key publications
Aleksandra works primarily in the area of political psychology. She investigates how the ways individuals feel about themselves and the social groups they belong to affect their political attitudes and behaviours.
In one line of work, she investigates links between narcissism and various political attitudes, including ideology, conspiracy beliefs and support for democracy. She is also interested in the dynamics of self-worth.
In another line of research, she focuses on collective narcissism—a defensive group identification, characterized by an emotional investment in an unrealistically positive image of the in-group. Aleksandra examines political and social consequences of collective narcissism, as well as factors that contribute to strengthening this form of in-group identification.
She also studies psychological factors underlying political engagement and perceptions of legitimacy of the socio-political systems.
Current research students
Editorial work:
2021- 2024 | Leverhulme Trust "Does Identity Rhetoric Boost Online Political Messages" (PI, with Jay Van Bavel, Michal Kosinski, and Aleksandra Cislak) | £305,795 |
2019-2022 | Polish National Science Centre “Can strong identification harm the ingroup? Secure and defensive forms of ingroup identification in intragroup relations and group goals attainment” (Co-I; with Aleksandra Cislak, PI) | £270,000 |
2018 | Faculty of Social Sciences Research Fund “Why aren’t Leavers and Remainers changing their minds?” (PI, with Matt Goodwin) | £4,850.98 |
2017 | Jos Jaspars Medal for Early Career research contribution; European Association of Social Psychology | - |
2016 | Andrzej Malewski Award for outstanding contribution to psychological theory and research; Polish Academy of Sciences | - |
2016 | Centre For Research and Evidence on Security Threats “Why do people adopt conspiracy theories, how are they communicated, and what are their risks? Perspectives from psychology, information engineering, political science, and sociology” (Co-I, with Karen Douglas, PI, and Robbie Sutton) | £62,404 |
2015-2018 | Polish National Science Centre “In charge or in control? Short- and long-term effects of personal control and control over others” (Co-I; with Aleksandra Cislak, PI) | £60,373 |
2015-2018 | Polish National Science Centre “Control deprivation, (inter)group relations, and political cognition” (Co-I; with Mirek Kofta, PI) | £220, 928 |
2015-2018 | Polish National Science Centre “Dynamics and the origins of collective aggression in multidimensional approach - an integrative attempt” (Co-I, with Mikołaj Winiewski, PI) | £75,092 |
2013 | Robert Zajonc Award for impactful international publication record of an early career researcher; Polish Society of Social Psychology | - |
2011-2014 | PI, Polish National Science Center General Grant , "Effects of individual and collective control on in-group identification" | £53,787 |
2012 | PI, University of Warsaw Young Scientists Research Fund , "Self-esteem and ideology," | £1,593 |
2009 | PI, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Psychology research fund, “Collective narcissism as fragile collective self-esteem,” | £464 |