Dr Melissa Jauch, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Social Psychology at the Faculty of Psychology, has been awarded first prize in the Early Career Award 2026 by the Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences (SAGW).

Her research focuses on the willingness to engage with those who hold different political views, and the factors that influence this willingness to engage. Together with other researchers, she developed the WEDO (‘Willingness to engage with differently minded others’) measurement tool. 

A key finding is that it is not the controversial nature of a topic, but personal characteristics such as trust in one’s own gut feeling, that often deter people from engaging in conversation.

The jury praised the high quality of the research as well as its exemplary transparency. Data, code and materials are freely accessible, and the measurement tool is made available via an app.

The Faculty of Psychology congratulates Dr Melissa Jauch on this achievement!

Further information:

Press release from the Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences (SAGW)

Press release from the University of Basel

Article “Why we talk to people who think differently – or why we don't