Despite its relevance for political engagement and the well-functioning of democracy, political disinterest remains a theoretically underdeveloped and an empirically understudied concept. A better understanding of expressed socio-political disinterest is needed to identify obstacles to inclusive civic involvement, and to foster equal political participation.

Therefore, my PhD project adopts an interdisciplinary approach to study the nature, causes, and development of political disinterest, with a specific focus on adolescence. By integrating insights from psychology into the field of political science, I investigate:

1.  What do currently employed measures of disinterest in politics capture?
2. When does political disinterest develop, and how stable is it later in life?
3. To what extent, and for whom, is political disinterest a socio-political expressive or/and instrumental identity?
4. To what extent is political disinterest shaped by the information environment, cognitive and emotional factors in adolescence?
5. How can stakeholders prevent disinterest, and encourage interest in politics?

Funding: This project is funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe MSCA Doctoral Networks programme