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The Political Psychology Lab, led by Professor Daphna Canetti, is dedicated to investigating the psychological effects of terrorism and political violence, with a particular emphasis on the Middle East and beyond. Our research explores how exposure to terrorism, war, and political violence influences individual attitudes toward war, peace, and trust in institutions.
Political
Psychology Lab
Team
Our work is grounded in cutting-edge experimental research, employing methodologies such as controlled randomized field experiments, survey experiments, and physiological-political research. These approaches allow us to capture the emotional, cognitive, and physiological responses to political violence and terrorism, providing deep insights into how these experiences shape political behavior and public opinion.
In addition to terrorism, we examine broader forms of political violence, including cyber-attacks, using spatial analysis and bio-political research to uncover how different threats affect psychological resilience and political attitudes. Our work spans local and international contexts, seeking to understand how individuals across diverse settings respond to conflict and violence.
Supported by competitive grants, the lab also serves as a training ground for emerging scholars, many of whom have gone on to influential positions at top institutions such as the Hebrew University, Reichman University, Georgia Tech, and Oxford University.
Through our interdisciplinary approach and commitment to advancing the field, we aim to inform policy and contribute to the academic understanding of political violence, while preparing the next generation of scholars to lead in political psychology research.
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Lab Head
Daphna Canetti
I am a professor of political psychology and the Dean of the Herta and Paul Amir Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Haifa. My research focuses on the micro-foundations of political conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere. I am particularly interested in the impact of individual-level exposure to cyber-terrorism and political violence on war/peace attitudes. I study psycho-political responses to multiple acts of political violence and terrorism. Methodologically, I use controlled randomized field experiments, spatial analysis, survey experiments, bio-political and physiological-political research.
Researchers
Keren Levy Ganany - Snider
Keren is an assistant professor at the Department of Politics & Communication, at Hadassah Academic College, Jerusalem. She is also a research associate at the School of Political Sciences, at the University of Haifa. Keren’s research focuses on psycho-political consequences of physical and cyber terrorism on public. Her research primarily utilizes natural experiments, survey experiments and controlled laboratory studies, to apply principles taken from political psychology to study public opinions of groups exposed to conflict and violence, as well as intergroup relations.
Recent publications include “Cyber Scares and Prophylactic Policies: Cross-National Evidence on the Effect of Cyber Attacks on Public Support for Surveillance” (Journal of Peace Research), “Terrorized by Immigration? Threat Perceptions and Policy Preferences” (Terrorism and Political Violence), “The Political Psychology of Terrorism” (The Oxford Handbook of Political Psychology), “Cyberattacks, Cyber Threats and Attitudes Toward Cybersecurity Policies” (Journal of Cybersecurity), “Anger, Anxiety, and Selective Exposure to Terrorist Violence” (Journal of Conflict Resolution).
Website: https://kerenlgsnider.wixsite.com/site
Shani Fachter
Shani Fachter is a postdoctoral researcher on the ReligSpace team at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a teaching coordinator at the Open University of Israel, and a lecturer in The University of Haifa. Her research focuses on the effect of psycho-political consequences on political and social attitude toward out-groups. More specifically, Shani studies psycho-political responses to political violence and terrorism during intractable conflicts. In her research, Shani uses experimental methodology including laboratory experiments, survey experiments, and cutting-edge technology such as virtual reality equipment. Shani’s research interests are exposure to violence, ideology, moral disengagement, political activism, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Recent publications include “The Holocaust, the Socialization of Victimhood and Outgroup Political Attitudes in Israel” (Comparative Political Studies), “Come and share a story with me”: Promoting engagement between Ethiopian and Non-Ethiopian Israelis via joint digital narratives” (Technology in Society), and “Coping with moral threat: Moral judgment amid war on terror” (Journal of conflict resolution).
Research Students
Sintaio Almeya
Sintaio Almeya is a dedicated M.A. student at the Political Psychology Lab. He is currently working on his thesis, which investigates the impact of exposure to terror on trust in government, specifically focusing on the Ethiopian minority in Israel. He earned his B.A. in Political Science and Israel History from the University of Haifa. Aside from his thesis, Sintaio is an active member of a dedicated research group within the lab that focuses on public opinion among 7/10 evacuees from Northern and Southern Israel. His fluency in Amharic broadens the study's inclusive scope and enriches the team's ability to engage effectively with a diverse participant base.
Sintaio also serves as a teaching assistant for courses such as Introduction to the Political System in Israel and International Relations. Committed to advancing his academic skills, he has participated in Quantitative Research, a Systematic Literature Review, and Meta-Analysis Workshops, acquiring advanced methodologies and techniques to enhance his research capabilities.
Amit Cohen
Amit Cohen is a Ph.D candidate at the school of Political Sciences and a fellow researcher at the Political Psychology Lab at the University of Haifa, under the supervision of Prof. Daphna Canetti and Dr. Keren LG Snider. Amit studies the coping strategies of modern democracies with terrorism, mainly through the implementation of counter-terrorism policies and diplomatic means. In her research, Amit focuses on the psychological mechanisms that shape individuals' attitudes towards the government. Her work utilizes qualitative methods, integrated with advanced research technologies and comparative research. Amit is an award-winning young researcher, with several acknowledgments, including Rector's Award for Advanced Studies at the University of Haifa, the Outstanding Thesis Award for 2023 from the Israeli Political Science Association as well as the Bloom Scholarship for outstanding Ph.D. students.
Giulia Dal Bello
Giulia Dal Bello is a doctoral candidate at the University of Haifa, research fellow of the IDIT PhD Fellowship, and research fellow at the Center for Cyber, Law and Policy (CCLP) at the University of Haifa. Giulia specializes in public opinion in the context of terrorism and state surveillance. More specifically, supervised by Prof. Daphna Canetti and Prof. Sivan Hirsch-Hoefler, Giulia’s research explores the cognitive and emotional mechanisms that mediate the relationship between exposure to state surveillance and citizens’ willingness to engage in collective action. In her research Giulia employs multidisciplinary methodologies from Political Science and Neuroscience including a comparative study between Italy and Israel, and functional Neuroimaging (fMRI) studies conducted at the Rambam Healthcare Campus and at the Ruth and Meir Rosental MRI Center at Reichman University.
Gal Dor
Gal Dor is a PhD candidate at the University of Haifa in Israel. Her research is centered on understanding the cognitive processes involved in decision-making and the formation of public opinion, primarily focusing on the context of cyber conflict. Building upon the cognitive approach to decision-making, Gal's work aims to elucidate the psychological mechanisms underlying the form0061tion of public opinion and the escalatory nature of cyber capabilities in conflicts. She employs a combination of experimental and computational methodologies within the field of political psychology.
Dvir Greenberg
Dvir Greenberg is an MA student and a member of the Political Psychology Lab at the University of Haifa's School of Political Sciences. His research focuses on the political effects of exposure to political violence. He is currently investigating the role of psychological distress in the relationship between religious orientation and exposure to terror. More specifically, he is exploring why traditionally religious people exhibit higher levels of anxiety compared to secular and deeply religious groups when faced with terrorism.
Dvir holds a B.Sc. in Physics and Mathematics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and an MBA from Tel Aviv University. Before returning to academia, Dvir had a diverse career in management and entrepreneurship, spanning technology, finance, and civil society.
Sharon Matzkin
Sharon Matzkin is an advanced PhD candidate at the University of Haifa's School for Political Sciences. Her research primarily explores the political implications of cyberattacks, with a special focus on how unattributed cyberattacks on critical infrastructures influence public trust in government institutions. At the nexus of political science, political psychology, cybersecurity, and terror, Sharon investigates the dynamics between the public's political orientations, their support for surveillance, and their trust in government, particularly in the context of cybersecurity threats. Her empirical work involves extensive data collection across the United States, United Kingdom, and Israel, aiming to understand diverse political reactions in different government systems. Sharon's work contributes to a deeper understanding of the intersection between exposure to terror, cybersecurity, political psychology, and political science.
Snehashree Mukherjee
Snehashree Mukherjee is an international PhD student at the School of Political Science, University of Haifa (UOH). She is also affiliated with the Political Psychology Lab, UOH. Academically, she comes from an interdisciplinary background in Bioinformatics Engineering, an Executive Master’s in Security and Diplomacy as a full scholar and an M.A with a thesis in Political Science (cum laude). Her research topic is ‘A Mind Simulated by AI, in the Context of Terrorism’. Her research observes how an individual may be affected by various forms of exposure to terrorism and political violence. She is particularly interested in exposure on cyber platforms. Her approach includes merging experimental psychology with the theories of human-computer interactions. Professionally, she has worked extensively as a political and conflict-investigative journalist in India until 2018 and is currently the founder of a startup, CyCoLogic.
Tal Shaanan
Tal is a Ph.D candidate at the University of Haifa, and a research associate at the Political Psychology Lab. He obtained his B.A. in International Relations from The Hebrew University in Jerusalem and an M.A. in political science from Reichman University, with specialty in counterterrorism and homeland security studies. Today, he focuses on utilizing advanced quantitative research methods to investigate the complex interplay between group identity, exposure to terrorism and support for political violence. Tal has profound experience as a teaching and research assistant in various academic institutions, covering a wide range of topics. Alongside his academic endeavors, Tal is focused on attaining advanced technological proficiency to improve his knowledge and capabilities in quantitative research, including data analysis software and the utilization of artificial intelligence in this field. Tal is the winner of the prestigous Idit Scholarship for Outstanding Doctoral Candidates.
Oped on support for violence against politicians
Review of Freedom of Speech in Israel during the Iron Swords War
Past Visiting International Students
Where Our Alumni Go?
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Bonnie Alexander
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Pauline Anton
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Sophia Backhaus
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Bryonna Bowen
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Sára Cigánková
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Mika Hackner
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Sophia Hatz
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Hayes O'Connor
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David Prater
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David Romney
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Nikolai Schweber
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Gal Ariely (Ben Gurion University)
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Layla T. Atya (Zala Technology)
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Tzvika Barkai
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Shai Bermanis (Addressable.io)
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Sivan Hirsch-Hoefler (Reichman University)
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Faten Hasin (monday.com)
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Eran Halperin (Hebrew University)
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Dennis Kahn (Active Fence)
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Ibrahim Khateeb (Doha Institute for Graduate Studies)
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Iris Lavi (University of Bath)
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Eyal Levin (Ariel University)
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Limor Nobel
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Carmit Rapaport (University of Haifa)
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Yossi Sarid
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Ryan Shandler (Oxford University, Georgia Tech University)
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Ohad Shaked (Sapir College)
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Keren Sharvit (University of Haifa)
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Doran Shindelman
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Keren LG Snider (Hadassa College)
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Shani Fachter (Open University)
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Dana Guy (TASC - Think-tank for Action on Social Change)
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Naor Cohen (University of Calgary)
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Shay Zandani (Holistic Cyber)
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Inbal Zipris (Bank Hapoalim)