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We are excited to talk with Dr Maria Flakus, an early career scholar who works as a post-doctoral researcher at the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Dr Flakus obtained both her Master's degree and PhD in psychology from the University of Silesia in Katowice.
How do you stay updated and continue learning in your field of expertise?
Dr Flakus: Apart from staying in touch with current research on individual differences (e.g., papers, preprints), I highly appreciate the role of social media and national/international discourse on the role of science and research. Thus, for instance, I do follow discussions on Twitter/X to stay in touch not only with highly-valued research and ideas but also with other scientists. Importantly, I try to stay in touch with scientists within my field of expertise and those who conduct research in different areas, such as education or law. I feel it is crucial, as most social sciences are becoming more interdisciplinary, and focusing only on one field may narrow the point of view, limiting the understanding of some research objectives. For example, as I recently focused on collective narcissism or susceptibility to disinformation, it would be somehow risky to assume that a psychological perspective on those phenomena is sufficient to understand them fully.
Can you discuss a project or accomplishment you are particularly proud of within your organisation?
Dr Flakus: A research endeavor I am particularly proud of is the long-lasting examination of attitudes related to the war in Ukraine. Even though the start of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 was somehow expected by public opinion, it shocked many people in Poland, being for some months a great source of distress - also for many people of science. The first few weeks after the war's outbreak paralyzed our activities as, at that time, we did not know what would happen next, and the only thing we were able to do was follow the news from the Ukrainian frontline. At some point, within our research team, we decided to suspend our previous research activities and devote ourselves to following war-related news - partly because we felt that was the right (only?) thing to do and partly because we felt that it might also be scientifically beneficial. Thus, we started to develop a research project related to three (at least in our opinion) crucial war-related topics, i.e., war anxiety, attitudes toward refugees, and susceptibility to disinformation. We surveyed respondents from March to November 2022, monitoring attitudes and analyzing their sociopsychological determinants. In addition, we also monitored social media, i.e., YouTube and Twitter/X, creating a large set of war-related comments and tweets, for example, to analyze sentiment related to refugees or war and the most crucial topic in Kremlin-related sources of disinformation. As for now, we still analyze our data (with two papers in preparation and one under review), but last year at the ISSID conference, I had the immense pleasure of publicly showing a small part of this project, analyzing the role of collective narcissism and political views for belief in disinformation
In what ways do you contribute to fostering diversity and inclusion within your research environment?
Dr Flakus: At least for now, I am the only woman in my department, as my other colleagues are men. Thus, I would say that my contribution to diversity may be seen as quite literal. However, leaving the jokes aside, I support initiatives fostering diversity and inclusion - both formally and informally. As for the former, I encourage my students to implement reflection on inclusivity within research methodology and planning research, e.g., using non-binary operationalizations of gender, implementing neutral pronouns, projecting research settings friendly to people with disabilities, and taking into account neurodiversity. Such topics, especially those gender-related, are rather sensitive in Poland, as for the last eight years, they were actively eliminated from public discussion by the former government and public media allied to the former ruling party. Also, for some years, I collaborate with a local NGO foundation, Psychiatry - Together (Psychiatria - Razem), which undertakes numerous actions (for patients of local hospital) focused on providing comprehensive help to mentally ill people and improving the conditions of treatment of people with various mental disorders. As for the informal actions, I support actions related to reproduction and women's rights, publicly raising my voice on issues important for Polish social internal affairs, e.g., free access to contraception, abortion, or public availability of menstrual products. Although I do not consider myself an influencer, I believe that sharing opinions may have the power to shape opinions. Thus, it is crucial to refrain from being silent in public discourse, especially on topics that are, in fact, socially and (above all) psychologically relevant.
What are some of the ethical considerations you need to take into account in your research?
Dr Flakus: As my current research circles around topics related to social media and public opinion, the most important considerations I need to consider are ethical and legal regulations related to social media use. For example, last year, there was a massive change in Twitter/X politics regarding the sourcing and use of tweets, making it very expensive to obtain them, even for scientific purposes. It may be especially tricky in the case of longitudinal research, as rapidly changing regulations may create a need to provide adjustments within the research procedures (e.g., instructions given to respondents).
How does your research contribute to the broader goals of your organization or the global community?
Dr Flakus: The research lab I currently work in aims to advance methods of joint use of digital footprints and surveys to examine social phenomena, i.e., trust, attitudes towards migration, environment, governments, misinformation, and polarization of attitudes. Such a research area fits closely into current trends in social sciences, especially their computationally oriented branches. Moreover, joint use of surveys and online data is a relatively novel idea in social sciences, as in previous research, scientists tend to choose one type of data (e.g., social media activity vs. survey/questionnaire). Thus, examining the possible use of both data types may open a discussion on the benefits and limitations of specific data and, as we hope, help develop a methodology for their joint analysis.
What do you believe are the emerging trends or future directions within your area of research?
Dr Flakus: The ever-growing use of social media is now a prolific area for searching for exciting prospects for research. However, as the volume of data we may obtain from social media sites is immense, its investigation requires more sophisticated analytical strategies than those usually used within psychology. As strategies such as machine learning are not very novel, and many scientists have at least heard of them, the deepening knowledge of using such tools is still exceptional. Thus, deepening machine learning competencies is now the most significant challenge for many social scientists, especially those with a limited background in computational methods.
Can you share a significant challenge you've overcome in your career and how you did it?
Dr Flakus: I feel that this question is actually significantly linked to the previous one. I feel that dealing with negative feedback (both external, e.g., those coming from reviewers, and internal, e.g., my self-efficacy as a scientist) was the most challenging part. As a very young scientist, I was never sure if I could publish in a top-tier journal or if my research was valuable enough to be discussed publicly. For instance, as I struggled with stage fright during conferences, I refrained from oral presentations, doing posters instead, as it was less exposing. What helped me a lot was the social support of my friends and colleagues. At some point, I was also seeing a psychotherapist, as those struggles happened to be a part of the bigger problem I was digging inside of me. It took some time to overcome those difficulties and become more confident, and to be honest, I feel that there is still much to do. However, cherishing small steps, I am very proud of every step I took to get to where I am now.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out in your field, especially young women aspiring to enter the research community?
Dr Flakus: We do not talk enough about the consequences of criticism and negative feedback. As an aspiring scientist, you are never fully prepared to deal with negative reviews and criticism. For many older scientists, it is somehow obvious that you need to deal with it, but in some cases, no one assists you in this process, and young scientists may sometimes feel overwhelmed by these feelings. Thus, as research remains a highly competitive and demanding field, it is essential to remember not to give up after failure or criticism and remember that such feedback often tells very little about you or your competencies. Instead, sometimes, it is better to reanalyze the critical comments at a certain distance from the actual evaluation to extract constructive advice for your work. It helps you move on, deal with the actual challenges, and not dwell on pessimistic ideations about your worth.
What are the key skills or attributes you believe are essential for success in the research industry, and how can newcomers develop them?
Dr Flakus: I feel that aspiring scientists' thick skin, persistence, and open-mindedness are the most crucial attributes. The first two traits may be crucial while dealing with failures or criticism, as both are inevitable parts of a scientist's life. On the other hand, open-mindedness will help foster a constant feeling of curiosity that helps stay in touch with current research and ideas in a research field. This particular trait may also help to actually enjoy science and research, which is, in my opinion, the greatest pleasure in a scientist's life.
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