Dr Lee de Wit

I trained as an experimental psychologist / cognitive neuroscientist, and and my current research applies experimental and computational social science methods to understand political psychology, with a focus on the measurement and drivers of polarization. 

• As part of a World Templeton Charity Foundation grant (Listening and Learning in a Polarized World), we have been testing how perceptions of dependencies between sources can impact polarization (this is a collaboration with Jens Madsen at LSE). 
• My lab helps to run the UK MHP Polarization Tracker, identifying the trends and patterns in polarization and distrust in British Politics (this is lead by David Young). 
• A number of projects attempt to map the structure of political beliefs, and the distribution of politically salient issues across different contexts. 
• Another line of research looks at how the values framing of different political messages or policy positions impacts 

For more information, see my lab page, visit: Political Psychology Lab

I have previously served as a Teaching Fellow (2016-2018), and Senior Teaching Fellow (2018-2019) at University College London, and as the Academic Director for Psychology at the Institute of Continuing Education at the University of Cambridge (2016-2017).  

I originally studied Experimental Psychology at the University of Bristol (2002-2005), and then did an Economic and Research Council–funded Masters (2005-2006, with Charles Fernyhough) and PhD (2006-2009, with David Milner FRS and Robert Kentridge) at Durham University. I then worked as a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Leuven working on the Gestalt Revision program of Johan Wagemans (2010-2015). I have also spent time as a visiting researcher with Geraint Rees at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience (University College London), Glyn Humphreys at the University of Oxford, and Catherine Tallon-Baudry at the University Hospital Pitié-Salpêtrière in Paris.