• Since 10/2023: Project lead of the third-party project „WealthTalks“ (Volkswagen Foundation)

• Since 04/2018: Researcher at the Division Communication Theory and Media Effects at the Institute for Media and Communication Studies with research stays at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel

• 09/2012 to 01/2018: Doctorate, PhD in Media and Communication Studies at the University of Mannheim with stays for research purposes at Rhodes University, Stellenbosch University and University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa

• 09/2012 to 01/2018: Member of the graduate program “Formations of the Global” of the University of Mannheim, supported with a doctoral scholarship by the Landesgraduiertenförderung Baden-Württemberg

• 09/2014 to 11/2014; 09/2015 to 07/2016: Researcher with Prof. Dr. Hartmut Wessler at the Institute of Media and Communication Studies, University of Mannheim

• 09/2011 to 03/2012 Research assistant at the School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University in South Africa

• 10/2004 to 07/2011: Master’s degree in Media and Communication Studies, Economics, Anglistics and American Studies at Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, tutor and research intern at the Department of Media and Communication Studies

• 2007 to 2012: International, professional practice experience in various institutions and projects of the ICT4D and in journalism and public relations

Summer term 2023

• BA - Seminar 28563: Einführung in die empirische Kommunikationsforschung

• BA - Seminar 28624: Politische Streitgespräche in Zeiten affektiver Polarisierung

Summer term 2022

• BA - Seminar 28562: Einführung in die empirische Kommunikationsforschung

• BA - Colloquium 28892b: Bachelor-Colloquium Empirische Kommunikationsforschung

• MA - Colloquium 28892: Master-Colloquium Empirische Kommunikationsforschung

Winter term 2021/22

• BA - Seminar 28561: Einführung in die empirische Kommunikationsforschung

Summer term 2021

• BA - Seminar 28562: Einführung in die empirische Kommunikationsforschung

• BA - Seminar 28623: Qualitative Medienforschung zum ersten bundesdeutschen Lockdown: Ein Projektseminar

Winter term 2020/21

• BA - Seminar 28561: Einführung in die empirische Kommunikationsforschung

• MA - Seminar 28811: Das Erleben der COVID-19-Ausgangssperre und die individuelle Nutzung von Medien und Kommunikationstechnologie: Eine qualitative Inhaltsanalyse

Summer term 2020

• BA - Seminar 28561: Einführung in die empirische Kommunikationsforschung

• BA - Seminar 28621: Mediennutzung während der Corona-Krise - Ein Forschungsseminar

• MA - Seminar 28812: Das Erleben von Öffentlichkeit und digitaler Vergemeinschaftung während des ersten bundesweiten Kontaktverbots

Winter term 2019/20

• BA - Seminar 28561: Einführung in die empirische Kommunikationsforschung

• MA - Seminar 28811: Transnationale Solidarität im digitalen Zeitalter: Zwischen 'Connective Action', 'Slacktivism' und Apathie

Summer term 2019

• BA - Seminar 28561: Einführung in die empirische Kommunikationsforschung

Winter term 2018/19

• BA - Seminar 28562(a): Einführung in die empirische Kommunikationsforschung

• BA - Seminar 28565(a): Einführung in die empirische Kommunikationsforschung - Schwerpunkt Mediennutzung (with Barbara Pfetsch and Vivien Benert)

• MA - Seminar 28812(a): Dissonante Öffentlichkeiten: Politische Diskurse und soziale Integration im digitalen Zeitalter

Summer term 2018

• BA - Seminar 28564(a): Einführung in die empirische Kommunikationsforschung

Research interests:

My focus lies on the conditions and consequences of political and intergroup communication. In my research, I usually combine at least two of the following four concepts: (1) communicative behavior (particularly interpersonal communication and media repertoires), (2) social identities, (3) political attitudes, and (4) pro-social behavior. I work predominantly in the contexts of economic inequality, political polarization, and racism.

Journal Articles

• Masch, L., Demel, R., Schieferdecker, D., Schwander, H., Hutter, S., & Specht, J. (2023). Shift in Public Opinion Formations on Defense, Energy, and Migration: The Case of Russia’s War Against Ukraine. International Journal of Public Opinion Research, 35(4), edad038. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijpor/edad038

• Schieferdecker, D. (2023). Engaging with Distant Suffering Amid a Domestic Crisis: Exposure to Messages about COVID-19 Infections in the Global South Can Trigger Pro-Social Responses in the Global North. Communication Studies. (Online first). https://doi.org/10.1080/10510974.2023.2224405

• Schieferdecker, D.; & Harwood, J. (2023). Does Outgroup Media Exposure Reduce Prejudice? Testing Mediated Contact Effects with Real-Life Media Diets in South Africa. Communication Quarterly. (Online first). https://doi.org/10.1080/01463373.2023.2232839

• Neumann, R., Pfetsch, B., Hutter, S., Koschut, S., Schieferdecker, D., & Specht, J. (2023). The Rhetoric of Solidarity: Nature and Measurement of Social Cohesion in the Self-Representation of Civil Society Organizations. Social Indicators Research. (Online first). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-023-03163-0

• Schieferdecker, D., Pfuhl, G., & Kothari, A. (2022). The Authorization of the First COVID-19 Vaccines Changed the Level and Nature of Intend to Get Vaccinated. Journal of Health Communication, 27(9), 633–643. https://doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2022.2148021

• Breznau, N., Rinke, E. M., Wuttke, A., ..., Schieferdecker, D., … (2022). Observing Many Researchers Using the Same Data and Hypothesis Reveals a Hidden Universe of Uncertainty. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119(44): e2203150119. https://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2203150119

• Jacobson, J., Schieferdecker, D., Hutter, S., Gersdorf, D., & Specht, J. (2022). Long-Term Dynamics of Voluntary Engagement: Differentiating Social Structural from Cohort and Period Effects. Voluntas. First published online. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-022-00518-y

• Schieferdecker, D. (2021). Beliefs, Attitudes, and Communicative Practices of Opponents and Supporters of Covid-19 Containment Policies: A Qualitative Case Study from Germany. Javnost - The Public, 1–17 [published online]. https://doi.org/10.1080/13183222.2021.1969620

• Schieferdecker, D. (2021). Passivity In The Face of Distant Others’ Suffering: An Integrated Model to Explain Behavioral (Non-)Response. Annals of the International Communication Association, 45(1), 20-38. https://doi.org/10.1080/23808985.2021.1908837

• Stelzmann, D., Toth, R., & Schieferdecker, D. (2021). Can Intergroup Contact in Virtual Reality (VR) Reduce Stigmatization Against People with Schizophrenia? Journal of Clinical Medicine, 10(13), 2961. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10132961

• Schieferdecker, D., & Wessler, H. (2017). Bridging segregation via media exposure? Ingroup identification, outgroup distance and low direct contact reduce outgroup appearance in media repertoires. Journal of Communication, 67(6), 993–1014. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcom.

• Schieferdecker, D. (2017). When audience segmentation is twofold: Differences in media consumption along race and socio-economic background at a South African university. African Journalism Studies, 38(1), 129–151. https://doi.org/10.1080/23743670.2017.1291442

Other Scientific Publications

• Faas, T., Bibu, T., Joly, P., & Schieferdecker, D. (2022). Nutzung und Wahrnehmungen der Informationslandschaft im zweiten Jahr der Pandemie. Media Perspektiven, 1, 38-48.

• Kothari, A., Pfuhl, G., Godleski, S., & Schieferdecker, D. (2022). Risk Perceptions, Trust in Health Authorities and Socio-Demographics Predict Intent to Get Vaccinated Against COVID-19: Evidence from 23 Countries. In Proceedings of the Paris Institute for Advanced Study, 2(2).https://paris.pias.science/articles/FP2_Kothari

• Stelzmann, D., Toth, R., & Schieferdecker, D. (2022). 360°-(3D-)Videos in forschungsorientierten Lehrprojekten – Ein medienpsychologisches Fallbeispiel. In J. Windscheid & B. Gold (Hrsg.), 360°-Videos in der empirischen Sozialforschung (S. 193-211). Springer VS.

• Schieferdecker, D. (2014). Race trouble: Race, identity and inequality in Post-Apartheid South Africa. Race & Class, 55(3), 108–109.

Presentations

• Schieferdecker, D., Joly, P., Janzik, R., Geppert, J., & Berger, N. (2023). Vulnerability or Political Predispositions: What Explains Trust in Health Communication by the Government During the COVID-19 Pandemic? Paper presented at the annual conference of the International Communication Association, Toronto.

• Schieferdecker, D.; Joly, P., & Faas, T. (2023). Affective Polarization Between Opinion-Based Groups in a Context of Low Partisan Discord. Paper presented at the annual conference of the International Communication Association, Toronto.

• Vaughan, M., & Schieferdecker, D. (2023). The Spectacularisation of Inequality via Hybrid Media in the “Billionaire Space Race”. Paper presented at the Joint Sessions Workshop of the European Consortium for Political Research, Toulouse.

• Vaughan, M., & Schieferdecker, D. (2022). Discourses on Economic Inequality in Digital Media Ecologies: Towards a Research Agenda for the Next Five Years. Workshop presented at the annual conference of the International Communication Association, Paris.

• Schieferdecker, D., Pfuhl, G., Kothari, A., Godleski, S., & Riegels, M. (2022). The Temporal Dimension of Vaccine Hesitancy during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Paper presented at the annual conference of the International Communication Association, Paris.

• Schwander, H., Schieferdecker, D., Hutter, S., & Specht, J. (2022). Linking structural divides and political organization: Affective polarization between opinion-based groups in a globalized era. Paper presented at the workshop “Affective Polarization: A Challenge for Electoral Democracy”, Paris.

• Joly, P., Faas, T., & Schieferdecker, D. (2022).Cyclic Variation Bias: Misperceiving Infection Trends During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Paper presented at the workshop “Political Behavior”, Berlin-Hamburg.

• Faas, T., Schieferdecker, D., & Joly, P. (2022). Asymmetric Affective Polarization. Paper presented at the conference “Science for Resilience – Learnings from the Pandemic”, Wien.

• Schieferdecker, D. (2021, 7. Oktober). Science Communication in Times of COVID-19 under the Spotlight. Leopoldina International Virtual Panel in Cooperation with the Academy of Science of South Africa.

• Schieferdecker, D., Joly, P., & Faas, T. (2021, 1. September). Beyond Partisanship: Affective Polarization Between Opinion-Based Groups During the COVID-19 Pandemic. ECPR General Conference 2021.

• Joly, P., Schieferdecker, D., & Faas, T. (2021). A New Line of Conflict? Affective Polarization around Measures to Contain the COVID-19 Pandemic. Paper presented at the virtual annual conference of the AK Wahlen und politische Einstellungen [working group on elections and political attitudes of the German Association of Political Sciences (DVPW)].

• Joly, P., Schieferdecker, D., & Faas, T. (2021). Affective Polarization in Times of Pandemic: How Left-Right Positions and Opinions about the Government Response to the COVID-19 Crisis Interact. Paper presented at the General/Annual Conference of the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR).

• Joly, P., Schieferdecker, D., & Faas, T. (2021). Affective Polarization in Times of Pandemic: Early findings of the RAPID-COVID Panel. Paper presented at the Meeting of the German Political Psychology Network.

• Schieferdecker, D. (2021). Distant Humanitarian Crisis or Transnational Threat? How Framing the COVID-19 Situation in the Global South Affects Pro-Social Responses of Audiences in the Global North. Paper presented at the virtual annual conference of the International Communication Association (ICA).

• Schieferdecker, D. (2020). Media and communication routines as antecedents and outcomes of individuals' coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. Paper presented at the SocialBRIDGES conference, Germany, Munich.

• Stelzmann, D., Toth, R. & Schieferdecker, D. (2019). Encounters in VR: Decreasing prejudice towards schizophrenic people. Paper presented at the International Conference on Communication in Healthcare (ICCH), USA, San Diego.

• Schieferdecker, D. (2019). The attitude-action-gap in the context of mediated distant suffering: An integrative heuristic model. Paper presented at the annual conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), USA, Washington (D.C.).

• Stelzmann, D., Toth, R. & Schieferdecker, D. (2019). Encounters with Schizophrenics in Virtual Reality. Paper presented at the 11th conference of the media psychology division of the German Psychological Association (DGPs), Germany, Chemnitz.

• Schieferdecker, D. (2019). Unter welchen Bedingungen kann Mediennutzung in digitalen Medienökologien Engagement gegen entferntes Leid anstoßen? Paper presented at the annual conference of the Network Critical Communication Research (KriKoWi), Germany, Leipzig.

• Schieferdecker, D. (2019). Herausforderungen und Prinzipien im Umgang mit Ethnizität und Race in der empirischen, sozial-wissenschaftlichen Forschung. Workshop presented at the annual conference of the Network Critical Communication Research (KriKoWi), Germany, Leipzig.

• Schieferdecker, D. (2018). Can media portrayals of mediated distant suffering trigger political engagement? Systematizing conditions from a media effects perspective. Paper presented at the bi-annual conferences of European Communication Research Association (ECREA) in Switzerland, Lugano.

• Schieferdecker, D. (2018). Working on a contentious topic: Towards a guideline on best practices in race-related communication research. Workshop presented at the annual conference of the International Communication Association (ICA) in Czech Republic, Prague.

• Schieferdecker, D. (2017). Macro-dynamics of race, class and desegregation: To what extent are they reflected in media consumption habits at a relative prestigious South African university? Paper presented at the annual conference of the South African Communication Association (SACOMM), South Africa, Grahamstown.

• Schieferdecker, D. (2017). Testing the effects of direct and mediated contact in South Africa. Paper presented at the 1st International Symposium of Intergroup Communication. Greece, Thessaloniki.

• Schieferdecker, D. (2016). The pre-conditions for positive media effects: Direct outgroup contact and ingroup identification affect the amount of outgroup exposure. Paper presented at the annual conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), Japan, Fukuoka.

• Schieferdecker, D. (2016). Vorbedingungen positiver Medienwirkungen: Wie direkter Fremdgruppenkontakt und Identifikation mit der Eigengruppe die Wahrscheinlichkeit von medialem Fremdgruppenkontakt beeinflussen? Paper presented at the annual conference of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Publizistik und Kommunikationswissenschaft (DGPuK), Germany, Leipzig.

• Schieferdecker, D. (2015). The effects of mediated and direct contact on outgroup attitudes, perceived discrimination and collective action orientation. Paper presented at the annual conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), Puerto Rico, San Juan.

• Schieferdecker, D. (2015). Secondary transfer effects of mediated intergroup contact: does habitual exposure to US-American media affect attitudes towards South African outgroups? Poster presented at annual conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), Puerto Rico, San Juan.

• Schieferdecker, D., & Rinke, E. (2014). Measuring mediated intergroup contact: Using a content-list technique to indicate exposure to outgroup characters. Paper presented at annual conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), USA, Seattle, WA.

• Schieferdecker, D. (2014). Mediated contact and intergroup attitudes: Students' media use and their prejudice towards racialized groups in contemporary South Africa. Paper presented at the Seminar Series of the School of Journalism and Media Studies, South Africa, Grahamstown.

• Schieferdecker, D. (2014). Medialer Kontakt und Vorurteilsbildung: Mediennutzung und Gruppeneinstellungen von Studierenden im heutigen Südafrika. Paper presented at the Doktorandenkolloquium der DGPUK-Fachgruppe Fachgruppe Rezeptions- und Wirkungsforschung, Germany, Hannover.

• Schieferdecker, D. (2013). Racialized identities: Transkulturelle Medienensembles und die Aneignung von ‚Race‘ im heutigen Südafrika. Paper presented at the Forum der Heidelberger Graduiertenschule für Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaften (HGGS), Germany, Heidelberg.

Policy Briefs

• Richter, S., Faas, T., Joly, P., & Schieferdecker, D. (2022). Sag, wie hältst Du’s mit der Impfpflicht? Einstellungen der deutschen Bevölkerung zur Einführung einer allgemeinen Corona-Impfpflicht. RAPID-COVID Policy Brief 1/2022, April 2022. Details und Download

• Faas, T., Bibu, T., Joly, P., Lipski, P., & Schieferdecker, D. (2022). Soziale Netzwerke und die Pandemie: Wer hat welche sozialen Medien genutzt, um sich über die Pandemie zu informieren? RAPID-COVID Policy Brief 2/2022, Oktober 2022. Details und Download

• RAPID-COVID. (2021). Wer unterstützt die Corona-Maßnahmen? Hintergründe und zeitliche Entwicklung. RAPID-COVID Policy Brief 1/2021, April 2021. Details und Download

• RAPID-COVID. (2021). Die Corona-Pandemie – eine Management-Krise? Hintergründe und zeitliche Entwicklung der Wahrnehmung des Krisenmanagements. RAPID-COVID Policy Brief 2/2021, Mai 2021. Details und Download

• RAPID-COVID. (2021). Pandemie und Polarisierung: (Wechselseitige) Wahrnehmungen von Befürworter*innen und Gegner*innen der Corona-Maßnahmen. RAPID-COVID Policy Brief 3/2021, Juni 2021. Details und Download

• RAPID-COVID. (2021). Mediennutzung in der Pandemie: Woher beziehen Bürger*innen ihre Informationen? RAPID-COVID Policy Brief 4/2021, Juni 2021. Details und Download

• Osang, H., Meuer, G., Leusch, P., Schuster, E., Didszuweit, S., & Schieferdecker, D. (2010). Kommunikation, Partizipation, Entwicklung: Positionspapier Medienentwicklungszusammenarbeit. Bonn