(Peter) Luca Versteegen, PhD, is a Postdoc at the Department of Government. He holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Gothenburg, a Researcher Master in Social and Behavioral Sciences (MRes.) from the University of Tilburg, and a Bachelor in Psychology (BSc.) from the University of Hamburg. In his dissertation, he investigated how people’s identities and emotions shape their perceptions of and reactions to societal developments (e.g., migration, climate change) and motivate radical political behaviors.

More generally, Luca’s research examines citizens’ support for radical right parties, their engagement in (affective) polarization, and prosocial behaviors. In his postdoctoral project, he develops a citizen-level understanding of what citizens can and should do in response to societal challenges, as well as how identities and emotions motivate these responses.

Luca uses a variety of quantitative and qualitative methods, and employs descriptive, cross-sectional, and (quasi-)experimental designs. 

More information can be found on his personal website.