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Study shows that divergent opinions need not necessarily lead to polarisation We naturally feel close to people who are similar to us, who share our interests or partake in related activities, for instance. This natural feeling of closeness can be funnelled to reduce political differences and increase consensus on conflictual political topics.

The Corona pandemic has not only impinged on daily life around the world for around two years now - it is increasingly shifting science and research into the focus of public debate. One aspect is the trust people have in the work done by scientists. A team of researchers led by Prof. Rainer Bromme, a psychologist at the University of Münster, now have published a study, which concludes that science has so far passed the pandemic stress test of public trust in science.

Results of surveys involving more than 100,000 participants in 26 countries show a correlation between belief in conspiracies and identification as far-left, and, in particular, far-right Conspiracy theories have circulated at all times, in all cultures, and among all populations. They routinely appear in conjunction with major incidents, such as those that today take the form of terrorist attacks, the COVID-19 pandemic, and presidential elections.

What are European citizens' ideal visions of the European Union (EU)- According to an international study undertaken by political scientists from the University of Münster, people across all countries studied primarily support more participation and justice.

The size of one's own group motivates protestors more than the number of counter-demonstrators / interdisciplinary study of the Cluster of Excellence ECONtribute: Markets & Public Policy at the Universities of Bonn and Cologne The expected number of participants at a rally is decisive for people's willingness to participate in left-wing or right-wing political protest.

Leipzig Authoritarianism Study 2018: presentation of long-term study with current results on authoritarian and far-right attitudes in Germany Xenophobia has again increased in Germany. Almost one in two respondents in eastern Germany agrees with certain xenophobic statements, for example that foreigners are exploiting the German welfare state or swamping the Federal Republic.

Young Researchers at Freie Universität Win ERC Starting Grants No 224/2017 from Aug 21, 2017 Four researchers at Freie Universität Berlin have won ERC Starting Grants. The grants were awarded by the European Research Council (ERC) in amounts up to 1.5 million euros over a five-year period. The winning projects at Freie Universität are in the fields of Arabic studies, computer science, neuroscience, and political science.

German Research Foundation Supports New Research Group at Freie Universität Berlin ' 423/2016 from Dec 01, 2016 A new research project at Freie Universität Berlin is dealing with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The German Research Foundation (DFG) has approved a grant for the sub-project "CONNECT: Networking and Influence of International Secretariats Environmental and Disability Policy over Time" at the Division of Educational Research and Social Systems.