Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Carol Galais is Associate Professor of Political Science at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and a recipient of the ICREA Academia Award (2024). Her research focuses on public opinion, political behaviour, and citizen participation, with a particular emphasis on political emotions, affective polarization, and the role of contextual factors in shaping democratic attitudes.
She works extensively with longitudinal and experimental methods, and has published in journals such as European Journal of Political Research, International Journal of Public Opinion Research, Social Movement Studies, and American Behavioral Scientist. She is involved in several national and international research projects, including the Horizon Europe project TaCT-FoRSED.
My research relates to conspiracy theories primarily through the study of political attitudes, emotions, and susceptibility to misinformation. I am particularly interested in how emotional dynamics—beyond commonly studied emotions such as anger and fear—shape citizens’ interpretations of political reality, including the appeal of conspiratorial narratives. Within TaCT-FoRSED, my work contributes to understanding how contextual factors, emotional responses, and individual predispositions interact to foster or limit the uptake of conspiracy beliefs, as well as their consequences for political behaviour, polarization, and democratic engagement.
Relevant publications
Galais, C., & Ruiz Hernández, M. (2025). Beyond anger and fear: the demobilizing role of sadness in far-right voting in Spain. South European Society and Politics.
Galais, C., & Balinhas, D. (2025). Affective polarization in the face of crisis: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and de-escalation policies in Spain. International Journal of Public Opinion Research, 37(1), edae059.
Guinjoan, Marc, and Carol Galais (2023). “I want to believe: The relationship between conspiratorial beliefs and populist attitudes in Spain.” Electoral Studies 81: 102574.
Galais, C., & Guinjoan, M. (2023). The ideological slant of COVID-19-related conspiracies. A new niche for the far-right?. Representation, 59(2), 347-356.
Galais, C., & Bermúdez, S. (2024). Understanding Conflict Dynamics in Spanish Parliament: MPs’ Personality Traits and Attitudes Toward Conflict. American Behavioral Scientist, 0(0).
Galais, C., Mateos, A., & Anduiza, E. (2024). The socializing nature of protest events. Consequences of the 15-M protests on participants’ political engagement over time. Social Movement Studies, 1-19.
Galais, C., & Coller, X. (2024). The Personality Divide Between Citizens and Politicians: The Case of the Four Largest Spanish Parties. Parliamentary Affairs, 77(1), 88-108