Computational social scientist Alexandros Efstratiou started work in January as a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public. Efstratiou, who is based in the UW Information School, recently finished his doctoral studies in Computer Science at University College London.
In his research, Efstratiou analyzes the social mechanisms through which polarization and misinformation are interrelated. His work has scrutinized social theories of how polarization manifests in online social media using empirical evidence, and explored how network segregation can contribute towards scientific misinformation. At the CIP, he will continue to explore these topics, focusing on outgroup misperceptions, polarization through entertainment consumption and lifestyle choices, and the meta-science of the study of misinformation.
In his dissertation, “Polarization dynamics and emergent information-seeking behaviours on social media,” Efstratiou conducted an investigation of different intergroup polarization perspectives, “uncovering how echo chamber engagement and hostility in intergroup interactions — two phenomena heretofore presumed to be mutually exclusive — may be interrelated and give rise to one another.” He also explores how intragroup perspectives, which have been largely understudied, can offer researchers and practitioners new avenues for depolarization through interventions.
“We’re excited for Alex to start his postdoctoral work at the Center for an Informed Public,” said CIP director Emma Spiro, a UW Information School associate professor. “His research on echo chambers, intergroup interactions and depolarization interventions will be a valuable addition to the CIP’s portfolio of research expertise.”
In addition to his PhD from University College London, Efstratiou holds a Master of Science in Behavioral Science from Durham University and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of East Anglia, all in the United Kingdom.
