Technology and Democracy EU Science Hub (2020)

Scroll down to see more content

Technology and Democracy: Understanding the influence of online technologies on political behaviour and decision-making 

Abstract

Drawing from many disciplines, the report adopts a behavioural psychology perspective to argue that “social media changes people’s political behaviour”. Four pressure points are identified and analysed in detail: the attention economy; choice architectures; algorithmic content curation; and mis/disinformation. Policy implications are outlined in detail.

Authors

LEWANDOWSKY Stephan, SMILLIE Laura, GARCIA David, HERTWIG Ralph, WEATHERALL Jim, EGIDY Stefanie, ROBERTSON Ronald E., O’CONNOR Cailin, KOZYREVA Anastasia, LORENZ-SPREEN Philipp, BLASCHKE Yannic, LEISER Mark

Paper


Posts that link to this paper
Tags: behaviour (17) | decision making (49) | democracy (39) | disinformation (16) | emotions (12) | European Commission (11) | evidence (11) | misinformation (13) | narrative (16) | openness (6) | policy-making (4) | politics (30) | The Enlightenment (28) | trust (39)

Image Credits: Midjourney (Public Domain)

This page is part of a blook on Conversational Leadership. Parts of this book have restricted access. You can learn more about the book and how to obtain full access on the home page.

Conversational Leadership Workshop
In-person, 7–11 September 2026, Warbrook House, Hampshire, UK

We are living and working in conditions of uncertainty, complexity, and rapid change. Many leadership approaches still rely on control, expertise, and tools that no longer fit the realities people face.

This week-long immersive workshop brings people together to practise Conversational Leadership as a shared, lived experience. It is not a training course but a space to slow down, think together, and explore how leadership emerges through dialogue, responsibility, and real engagement.

Information and Registration


Leave a Reply