Changes in politicians' personality traits over time

Christoffer teaches and researches political and bureaucratic elites, behavioural public administration, political psychology, digitalisation, data science and democracy. In the course of the programme, he wishes to expand his research agenda on political elites and political psychology by creating a panel dataset on the personality traits of political elites.

According to Christoffer, research into politicians' personality traits is dominated by cross-sectional studies, which limits our knowledge of how and why political elite personality traits differ from those of the general public. The literature suggests that the political elite differs from the general public, but so far we have not been able to determine by studying empirical data to what extent this is due to selection effects (different people choosing different political roles), socialisation (changes in personality traits of politicians over time), or both. Therefore, analyses of how the personality traits of politicians can change over time will provide a very valuable first indicator of what may be the answer to this question. 

- Research suggests that there is a difference between the elite and the general population, not only at the political level, but even at the personality level. Therefore, new knowledge about how and why this gap occurs can help qualify the discussion, says Christoffer.

Widening gap between politicians and voters

Increasing complexity in society can make the gap between politicians and voters seem ever wider. Therefore, Christoffer is hoping that by studying politicians, not only as powerful members of society, but also as individual human beings, he can help counteract the negative effects of these trends.

During the talent programme, he will, among other things, participate in summer school courses on data science, visit leading environments within elite studies, data science and political psychology to contribute to building a stronger research environment by organising a conference on data science at the Department of Politics and Society.

Further information

Assistant Professor Christoffer Koch Florczak
Centre for IT Management (CIM)
Department of Politics and Society
Tel. +45 9940 2657 / email: ckfl@dps.aau.dk
https://vbn.aau.dk/da/persons/151135

Danish companies' approach to publishing sustainability information and their incentive to do so

While participating in the the talent programme,  Chiara wants to develop her research agenda and build a stronger research profile within sustainability reporting. She will also boost her national and international networks by visiting the Accounting and Financial Management Center of Excellence (ACE), Mistra Center for Sustainable Markets (Misum) and the Accounting Frameworks' platform at Stockholm School of Economics. Moreover, publication of international peer-reviewed journal articles, a book chapter and applications for external funding from national research foundations are included in her plans for the three-year programme.

SR reporting process and the accounting system

In terms of research, Chiara's project revolves around sustainability reporting (SR). She will investigate how new SR standards and rules are translated into accounting policies and study their reliability in Danish companies. She will study how the approach and incentives to publish sustainability information may be improved. And she will analyse the internal reporting process and the accounting system to study if this is integrated into the management control systems. In terms of methodology, Chiara will use a wide range of written data sources and interviews with, among others, CFOs, financial advisors, and professional bodies.

- I will investigate how new SR standards and rules are being translated into accounting policies, and the reliability of these practices, tells Chiara. 

The results of Chiara's research will be presented at national and international academic conferences, such as the Annual Conference of the European Accounting Association (EAA)  and the Nordic Accounting Conference. She will also present at a seminar or user involvement workshop that will involve Danish professionals, agencies, accountancy firms, political decision-makers and practitioners to increase the social impact in the local company's environment and establish new business collaborations.

Further information

Associate Professor Chiara Crovini
Accounting Research Group
Aalborg University Business School
Tel. +45 99402712 / email: chiarac@business.aau.dk
https://vbn.aau.dk/da/persons/149502

Correlations between knowledge production and race, gender, and class

Hui's participation in the talent programme will help boost her research skills within the field: "Correlations between gender, racialisation, class and scientific knowledge production". In particular, she will be working on an application in progress for research funding for a project on the relationship between knowledge production in educational institutions and the social background of researchers and students (race, gender, class).

- The goal of my research is that it can form the basis for equal opportunities for participation in educational institutions for students and researchers, says Hui.

Social sustainability in education and society

The societal impact of Hui's research is the production of knowledge that can form the basis for equal opportunities for participation in educational institutions for students and researchers, and which can strengthen social sustainability in education and society – i.e. how to work with inclusion and diversity at educational institutions.

Hui's research activities include, among other things, a research stay at the University of Stavanger, the University of Melbourne and the University of Toronto, and publication in the leading journals "Ethnic and Racial Studies", "Gender & Society" and "Race, Ethnicity and Education".

Further information

Associate Professor Jin Hui Li
CFU - Centre for Educational Research
Department of Culture and Learning
Tel. +45 9940 7479 / email: jhl@ikl.aau.dk
https://vbn.aau.dk/da/persons/132516

Promoting civic knowledge and collective responsibility for tackling the climate crisis

 In her research project "Just Renewability", Malayna investigates considerations in the public sector regarding energy transition, debates about desired futures and competitions around distributive and procedural justice in Denmark, Spain and Argentina. Her three research questions are: What are the hegemonic (position and dominance of leading states over weaker states) energy futures, green or not, and who define these? What boundaries are drawn within these energy futures between renewable and non-renewable energy sources? And how, why and by whom is the boundary between renewable and non-renewable energy being disputed? The answer to these questions could help promote civic knowledge and a collective responsibility for tackling the climate crisis and contribute to democratising and building knowledge.

- The overall goal of my participation in the talent programme is to expand and further develop my own research in environmental policy and natural resource management and to build my CV, says Malayna.

 Wide-ranging research activities

Among Malayna’s research activities is a stay abroad at the Department of International Environment and Development Studies at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. Likewise, Malayna will apply for a visiting stay at the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society in Germany and participate in the public debate on green transition for her research to extend beyond the academic community. Two research workshops on Energy Futures: Deliberating and Contesting the Energy Transition (2023) and Whole-Systems Perspectives on a Just Energy Transition (2025), a grant preparation workshop, a grant application, a research methods course, and the development of PhD courses are also on her list of activities for the next three years.

Further information

Associate Professor Malayna Raftopoulos
Scientific Co-Director of Green Societies, SSH
Global Politics and Diversity
Department of Politics and Society
Tel. +45 9940 2865 / email: raftopoulos@dps.aau.dk
https://vbn.aau.dk/da/persons/malayna-anne-raftopoulos-chavarr%C3%ADa

 

Dysfunctional life stories of people with personality disorders

In her research, Majse is concerned with how, why and when the life story, or narrative identity, becomes atypical and maladaptive in people with personality pathology/personality disorders. The talent programme will help her investigate these issues, strengthen her international network through, for instance, a stay at Washington State University in the USA, and upgrade her statistical skills.

Three groundbreaking research projects

Majse will develop an alternative and more effective measuring tool to capture the atypical/disturbed narrative identity – i.e. study the importance of a person's own life stories or narratives for the possibility to remedy problematic behaviour. 

She will also conduct a long-term study that aims to investigate how narrative identity affects the functional level and personality pathology in vulnerable young people.

Moreover, she is planning to visit an internationally renowned researcher of personality and personality pathology.

- Based on a unique long-term study, I will investigate which aspects of a personality are important for the development of a maladaptive narrative identity over time, tells Majse. 

Majse hopes that the impact of her research on society will contribute to a better understanding of how, why and when narrative identity becomes disturbed and associated with personality pathology. She hopes that in the long term, this knowledge will contribute to preventive initiatives and to optimisation of the treatment of personality pathology.

Further information

Assistant Professor Majse Lind
Cognition, Development and Clinical Psychology
Department of Communication and Psychology
Email: mlind@ikp.aau.dk
https://vbn.aau.dk/da/persons/152551

Challenging the idea of the Arctic as a "white desert"

For Mette the goal of her participation in the talent programme is to develop a new research agenda within infrastructure research which theoretically and through the study of empirical data focuses on everyday life with telecommunications infrastructures in the Arctic.

According to Mette, a key challenge for infrastructure development in the Arctic is that it is often being planned centrally and rarely involves locals. Therefore, major challenges are seen when, for example, green energy plants that are to service the large cities further south are located in Arctic areas that are considered uninhabited, but in fact have a long local history of hunting or reindeer herding.

- In terms of research, I am interested in how the groups that are rarely heard in connection with Arctic infrastructure development are affected by and also themselves affect the infrastructure in their everyday lives, says Mette.

Telecommunications in Canada and North Greenland

Mette will gather theoretical insights about the infrastructure research that is taking place today across media research, anthropology and architecture. In terms of empirical data, she is planning a pilot project on life with telecommunications in Arctic Canada to supplement her research in North Greenland.

- I’m hoping that I can contribute to a break with the idea of the Arctic as an uninhabited wilderness or a white desert, tells Mette. 

She is hoping that infrastructure research can help support a development that is more in tune with local needs. And that her research can contribute to challenging the idea that the Arctic is an uninhabited region that can be used for resource extraction. Mette believes that this idea and approach will only delay and complicate the green transition, in which many believe the Arctic is playing a key role.

 Further information

Associate Professor Mette Simonsen Abildgaard
CIRCLA - Centre for Innovation and Research in Culture and Living in the Arctic
Department of Culture and Learning
Tel. +45 9940 9955 / email: msab@ikl.aau.dk
https://vbn.aau.dk/da/persons/136298 

The narrative of climate change in Denmark

During the next three years, the talent programme will constitute the framework for Florian's studies of the Danish media's climate communication, of how the Danish public informs itself about climate change, and of how the topic is discussed on social media. 

Through conference participation and research stays, he wants to gain insight into the most recent advances and methods of quantitative data collection and analysis within Computational Social Science. This knowledge will then be used in the context of his research project. Moreover, he wants to expand his international network, promote research collaborations and contribute to the creation of new research projects.

- By studying the state of climate communication and information in Denmark, I hope to contribute to improving the quality of both. In the longer term, this will lead to increased awareness of the speed of climate change and promote more and better climate action, elaborates Florian.

The climate change narrative

In line with the saying "To know the future, you must study the past", Florian's first subproject is to use newspaper articles to study how the climate change narrative has been told in Denmark. Likewise, he will use tweets and Facebook posts to gauge public perception, attitude, and discussion about the causes and consequences of and solutions to climate change. Finally, he will use search engine surveys and a study of Wikipedia article coverage to assess what information is available to the Danish public.  

Today, 53% of the Danes believe that climate change is an extremely or very serious problem, and 38% are interested in news about climate change. Florian hopes that his research will contribute to improving climate communication among the Danish public, so that more people will become aware of the extent of the climate crisis and be interested in news on the subject.

Further information

Associate Professor Florian Maximilian Meier
Purposeful Technology Lab
Department of Communication and Psychology
Email: fmeier@ikp.aau.dk
https://vbn.aau.dk/da/persons/142274