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Dr Joseph Phillips
(he/him)
Lecturer in Politics
- Available for postgraduate supervision
Overview
I am a Lecturer in Politics at Cardiff University where I teach on elections and research methods.
My research concerns polarization, misinformation, political psychology, and longitudinal methods. I am affiliated with the Psychology and Public Policy Research Unit (PSYPOL) at the University of Kent where I work on the VOICE Survey (funded by the European Research Council).
I take an interdisciplinary and methodologically pluralistic approach to my work, drawing on insights from social psychology and sociology to explain how citizens approach politics. Most of my current work focusses on the consequences of polarization for democratic norms, the extent to which elite communication strategies can combat misinformation, and citizens' attitudes toward political violence.
Prior to joining Cardiff in my current role, I was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Kent School of Psychology and a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Exeter.
Publication
2025
- Phillips, J. B., Munis, B. K., Huffman, N., Memovic, A. and Ford, J. 2025. When push comes to shove: How Americans excuse and condemn political violence. Political Behavior (10.1007/s11109-025-10009-7)
- Munger, K. M., Bisbee, J., Yalcin, O. F., Phillips, J. B. and Hindman, M. 2025. Pressing play on politics: Quantitative description of YouTube. Journal of Quantitative Description: Digital Media 5, article number: 6.
- Wollast, R., Phillips, J. B., Yahiiaev, I., Malysheva, K., Klein, O. and Sengupta, N. K. 2025. Russians' attitudes towards the war in Ukraine. European Journal of Social Psychology 55(1), pp. 119-135. (10.1002/ejsp.3118)
- Wollast, R. et al. 2025. Gender inequality and cultural values in explaining gender differences in positive and negative emotions: A comparison of 24 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Current Psychology (10.1007/s12144-024-06989-0)
- Dreew, B. V., Munis, B. K., Phillips, J. B. and Goidel, S. 2025. What's woke?. Research and Politics
2024
- Phillips, J. B. 2024. Affective polarization and habits of political participation. Electoral Studies 87, article number: 102733. (10.1016/j.electstud.2023.102733)
- Ismail, R. A., Cichocka, A., Phillips, J. and Sengupta, N. 2024. Authoritarianism and social dominance as differential predictors of collective violence beliefs. Psychology of Violence (10.1037/vio0000580)
- Barnfield, M. et al. 2024. The effects of forecasts on the accuracy and precision of expectations. Public Opinion Quarterly
2023
- Abou-Ismail, R., Gronfeldt, B., Konur, T., Cichocka, A., Phillips, J. and Sengupta, N. K. 2023. Double trouble: how sectarian and national narcissism relate differently to collective violence beliefs in Lebanon. Aggressive Behavior 49(6), pp. 669-678. (10.1002/ab.22104)
- Phillips, J. B. and Plutzer, E. 2023. Reassessing the effects of emotions on turnout. The Journal of Politics 85(3), pp. 1094-1106. (10.1086/723816)
- Thompson, J. et al. 2023. Vaccine attributes and vaccine uptake in Hungary: evidence from a conjoint experiment. European Journal of Public Health 33(3), pp. 476–481. (10.1093/eurpub/ckad043)
- Stoeckel, F. et al. 2023. Correlates of support for international vaccine solidarity during the COVID-19 pandemic: Cross-sectional survey evidence from Germany. PLoS ONE 18(6), article number: e0287257. (10.1371/journal.pone.0287257)
2022
- Phillips, J. 2022. Affective polarization: over time, through the generations, and during the lifespan. Political Behavior 44(3), pp. 1483–1508. (10.1007/s11109-022-09784-4)
- Carey, J., Nyhan, B., Phillips, J. B. and Reifler, J. 2022. Partisanship unmasked? The role of politics and social norms in COVID-19 mask-wearing behavior. Journal of Experimental Political Science 10(3), pp. 377-390. (10.1017/XPS.2022.20)
- Stoeckel, F. et al. 2022. Stamping the vaccine passport? Public support for lifting COVID-19 related restrictions for vaccinated citizens in France, Germany, and Sweden. Vaccine 40(38), pp. 5615-5620. (10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.08.009)
- Carey, J. M. et al. 2022. Minimal effects from injunctive norm and contentiousness treatments on COVID-19 vaccine intentions: evidence from 3 countries. PNAS Nexus 1(2), article number: pgac031. (10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac031)
- Stöckli, S. et al. 2022. Which vaccine attributes foster vaccine uptake? A cross-country conjoint experiment. PLoS ONE 17(5), article number: e0266003. (10.1371/journal.pone.0266003)
- Carey, J. M., Guess, A. M., Loewen, P. J., Merkley, E., Nyhan, B., Phillips, J. B. and Reifler, J. 2022. The ephemeral effects of fact-checks on COVID-19 misperceptions in the United States, Great Britain and Canada. Nature Human Behaviour 6(2), pp. 236–243. (10.1038/s41562-021-01278-3)
- Gravelle, T. B., Phillips, J. B., Reifler, J. and Scotto, T. J. 2022. Estimating the size of "anti-vax" and vaccine hesitant populations in the US, UK, and Canada: comparative latent class modeling of vaccine attitudes. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics 18(1), article number: 2008214. (10.1080/21645515.2021.2008214)
- Munger, K. and Phillips, J. 2022. Right-Wing YouTube: a supply and demand perspective. International Journal of Press/Politics 27(1), pp. 186-219. (10.1177/1940161220964767)
2020
- Phillips, J. 2020. The peace and freedom party of California. In: Davis, R. ed. Beyond Donkeys and Elephants: Minor Political Parties in Contemporary American Politics. Kansas: University Press of Kansas, pp. 121-137., (10.2307/j.ctv15tt76n.9)
Articles
- Phillips, J. B., Munis, B. K., Huffman, N., Memovic, A. and Ford, J. 2025. When push comes to shove: How Americans excuse and condemn political violence. Political Behavior (10.1007/s11109-025-10009-7)
- Munger, K. M., Bisbee, J., Yalcin, O. F., Phillips, J. B. and Hindman, M. 2025. Pressing play on politics: Quantitative description of YouTube. Journal of Quantitative Description: Digital Media 5, article number: 6.
- Wollast, R., Phillips, J. B., Yahiiaev, I., Malysheva, K., Klein, O. and Sengupta, N. K. 2025. Russians' attitudes towards the war in Ukraine. European Journal of Social Psychology 55(1), pp. 119-135. (10.1002/ejsp.3118)
- Wollast, R. et al. 2025. Gender inequality and cultural values in explaining gender differences in positive and negative emotions: A comparison of 24 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Current Psychology (10.1007/s12144-024-06989-0)
- Dreew, B. V., Munis, B. K., Phillips, J. B. and Goidel, S. 2025. What's woke?. Research and Politics
- Phillips, J. B. 2024. Affective polarization and habits of political participation. Electoral Studies 87, article number: 102733. (10.1016/j.electstud.2023.102733)
- Ismail, R. A., Cichocka, A., Phillips, J. and Sengupta, N. 2024. Authoritarianism and social dominance as differential predictors of collective violence beliefs. Psychology of Violence (10.1037/vio0000580)
- Barnfield, M. et al. 2024. The effects of forecasts on the accuracy and precision of expectations. Public Opinion Quarterly
- Abou-Ismail, R., Gronfeldt, B., Konur, T., Cichocka, A., Phillips, J. and Sengupta, N. K. 2023. Double trouble: how sectarian and national narcissism relate differently to collective violence beliefs in Lebanon. Aggressive Behavior 49(6), pp. 669-678. (10.1002/ab.22104)
- Phillips, J. B. and Plutzer, E. 2023. Reassessing the effects of emotions on turnout. The Journal of Politics 85(3), pp. 1094-1106. (10.1086/723816)
- Thompson, J. et al. 2023. Vaccine attributes and vaccine uptake in Hungary: evidence from a conjoint experiment. European Journal of Public Health 33(3), pp. 476–481. (10.1093/eurpub/ckad043)
- Stoeckel, F. et al. 2023. Correlates of support for international vaccine solidarity during the COVID-19 pandemic: Cross-sectional survey evidence from Germany. PLoS ONE 18(6), article number: e0287257. (10.1371/journal.pone.0287257)
- Phillips, J. 2022. Affective polarization: over time, through the generations, and during the lifespan. Political Behavior 44(3), pp. 1483–1508. (10.1007/s11109-022-09784-4)
- Carey, J., Nyhan, B., Phillips, J. B. and Reifler, J. 2022. Partisanship unmasked? The role of politics and social norms in COVID-19 mask-wearing behavior. Journal of Experimental Political Science 10(3), pp. 377-390. (10.1017/XPS.2022.20)
- Stoeckel, F. et al. 2022. Stamping the vaccine passport? Public support for lifting COVID-19 related restrictions for vaccinated citizens in France, Germany, and Sweden. Vaccine 40(38), pp. 5615-5620. (10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.08.009)
- Carey, J. M. et al. 2022. Minimal effects from injunctive norm and contentiousness treatments on COVID-19 vaccine intentions: evidence from 3 countries. PNAS Nexus 1(2), article number: pgac031. (10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac031)
- Stöckli, S. et al. 2022. Which vaccine attributes foster vaccine uptake? A cross-country conjoint experiment. PLoS ONE 17(5), article number: e0266003. (10.1371/journal.pone.0266003)
- Carey, J. M., Guess, A. M., Loewen, P. J., Merkley, E., Nyhan, B., Phillips, J. B. and Reifler, J. 2022. The ephemeral effects of fact-checks on COVID-19 misperceptions in the United States, Great Britain and Canada. Nature Human Behaviour 6(2), pp. 236–243. (10.1038/s41562-021-01278-3)
- Gravelle, T. B., Phillips, J. B., Reifler, J. and Scotto, T. J. 2022. Estimating the size of "anti-vax" and vaccine hesitant populations in the US, UK, and Canada: comparative latent class modeling of vaccine attitudes. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics 18(1), article number: 2008214. (10.1080/21645515.2021.2008214)
- Munger, K. and Phillips, J. 2022. Right-Wing YouTube: a supply and demand perspective. International Journal of Press/Politics 27(1), pp. 186-219. (10.1177/1940161220964767)
Book sections
- Phillips, J. 2020. The peace and freedom party of California. In: Davis, R. ed. Beyond Donkeys and Elephants: Minor Political Parties in Contemporary American Politics. Kansas: University Press of Kansas, pp. 121-137., (10.2307/j.ctv15tt76n.9)
Teaching
Below are a list of modules I am currently teaching. For prior teaching, please see my CV.
- Elections in the UK
Biography
Education and Qualifications
- PhD in Political Science, The Pennsylvania State University, 2021.
- MA in Political Science, The Pennsylvania State University, 2019.
- BA in Political Science and History (Summa Cum Laude), State University of New York at Purchase College, 2016.
Honours and awards
- Honorable Mention, Seymour Sudman Graduate Student Paper Award, American Association for Public Opinion Research, 2021.
- Miller-LaVigne Fellowship, The Pennsylvania State University, 2020.
- Liberal Arts Teaching and Research Scholarship, The Pennsylvania State University, 2020.
- Eleanor Roosevelt Summer Scholarship, McCourtney Institute of Democracy, Pennsylvania State University, 2019.
- Jesse M. MacKnight Memorial Scholarship, The Pennsylvania State University, 2016.
- University Graduate Fellowship, College of Liberal Arts, The Pennsylvania State University, 2016-2021.
Academic positions
- Lecturer in Politics, Cardiff University, 2024-present.
- Postdoctoral Research Associate (Political Psychology), University of Kent, 2021-2024.
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Politics), University of Exeter, 2020-2021.
Supervisions
I am happy to supervise research students in the following areas:
- Any aspect of political psychology and political behaviour.
- Polarization.
- Misinformation.
- Support for democratic norms.
- American politics.
- Survey research methodology.
- Longitudinal research in political science.
Contact Details
Research themes
Specialisms
- Political Psychology
- Polarization
- Misinformation
- Surveys, questionnaires and quantitative data collection
- Panel data analysis