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Cecilie Steen­buch Traberg

Tenure Track Assistant Professor

Subjects
Psychology Misinformation Opinion formation Quantitative methods Artificial intelligence Decision-making

Primary research areas

So­cial In­flu­ence in the Di­git­al Age
Ex­amin­ing how di­git­al and so­cial con­texts shape be­liefs, be­ha­viours, and opin­ions. Fo­cus on mech­an­isms of con­form­ity, per­sua­sion, and group dy­nam­ics in on­line en­vir­on­ments.
Sus­cept­ib­il­ity to Harm­ful In­flu­ence
In­vest­ig­at­ing why in­di­vidu­als fall prey to mis­in­form­a­tion, ma­nip­u­la­tion, po­lar­iz­a­tion, and ex­trem­ism, and how per­son­al, so­cial, and tech­no­lo­gic­al factors amp­li­fy vul­ner­ab­il­ity.
Psy­cho­lo­gic­al In­ter­ven­tions and Cog­nit­ive Re­si­li­ence
Design­ing and test­ing in­ter­ven­tions - from in­ocu­la­tion strategies to game-based meth­ods - that counter harm­ful in­flu­ence and strengthen re­si­li­ence in demo­crat­ic dis­course.
AI and Emer­ging Tech­no­lo­gies in In­flu­ence
Ex­plor­ing how AI shapes per­sua­sion and polit­ic­al dia­logue, while de­vel­op­ing eth­ic­ally groun­ded uses of AI for demo­crat­ic re­si­li­ence and in­formed de­cision-mak­ing.
Ex­per­i­ment­al and Com­pu­ta­tion­al Ap­proaches
Us­ing lab ex­per­i­ments, on­line plat­forms, and com­pu­ta­tion­al mod­els to sim­u­late so­cial in­flu­ence, track mis­in­form­a­tion spread, and test in­ter­ven­tions at scale.

Har­ness­ing psy­cho­logy for a re­si­li­ent fu­ture

I am a psychologist and cognitive scientist whose research explores how social influence shapes our beliefs, behaviours, and opinions in the digital age. My work sheds light on why people become vulnerable to harmful influence - from misinformation and manipulation to polarization and extremism - and what can be done to counter these threats. 

A central aim of my research is to develop and test psychological interventions that strengthen cognitive resilience and empower citizens to make informed decisions. Drawing on experimental, computational, and game-based methods, I design tools that help societies resist digital manipulation and foster healthier democratic dialogue. My collaborations with NATO StratCom, the WHO, and other international organisations ensure that my findings translate into real-world impact. 

Beyond research, I am committed to academic citizenship and global collaboration. I have held visiting fellowships at Harvard Business School and Princeton University, and I actively engage with policymakers, educators, and civil society to share insights on building digital resilience. My vision is to harness psychology to protect democracy and empower societies to thrive in a rapidly changing information landscape.