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Researcher

Karolien Poels

  • Research Expertise:Karolien Poels is actively involved in different national and international research projects involving online (commercial) media environments and 'complex' communication. The role of emotions and how they interact with cognitive processes and behavior is central, both theoretically and methodologically. Examples of projects are:  adolescents’ advertising literacy towards targeted online advertising (IWT SBO AdLit, PhD Brahim Zarouali, 2018), online ad tailoring: the role of acceptance and privacy concerns (UAntwerpen BOF, PhD Evert Van den Broeck, 2019), transparency and effectiveness in the implementation of native advertising (FWO aspirant, PhD Simone Krouwer, 2020), sustainable advertising strategies for online news media (FWO SB aspirant, PhD’s Dorien Luyckx, 2023 and FWO project, Luc De Cleir, ongoing), food advertising and online communication strategies (VLAIO SBO, PhD’s Katrien Maldoy and Paulien Decorte, ongoing). Another line of research involves persuasive technologies to tackle online transgressive behavior or promote healthy (coping) behavior: a serious game promoting positive bystander involvement in cyberbullying (IWT SBO Friendly ATTAC, PhD Sara Bastiaensens, 2016, EU H2020 ITN, PhD Ina Weber, ongoing), automatic monitoring and interventions related to sexual harrassment on social media (IWT SBO AMiCA, PhD Kathleen Van Royen, 2017, EU H2020 ITN, PhD Yuying Tan, ongoing), online personal narratives and interface design targeted at adolescents' mental wellbeing (UAntwerpen BOF, PhD Sofie Mariën, ongoing) and persuasive context-based health communication (UAntwerpen GOA, PhD Michelle Symons, 2023, ATRAP, PhD Maxson Anyolitho, ongoing). In the course of 2021, Karolien was very actively involved in the complex communication issue of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Together with the vaccination experts from Center for the Evaluation of Vaccination (CEV) at UAntwerpen, she initiated the VAXCOM initiative, advising the government in the context of strategic communication related to the COVID-19 vaccination program and very recently also the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC). Karolien Poels is one of the founders and directors of the Antwerp Social Lab which focuses on psychophysiological and behavioral methods that capture human interactions in interpersonal and mediated contexts. https://www.uantwerpen.be/nl/onderzoeksgroep/antwerp-social-lab/.The Antwerp Social Lab is a core facility at the University of Antwerp.
  • Keywords:SOCIAL NETWORK SITES, ADVERTISING, DIGITAL GAMES, CONSUMER RESEARCH, MEDIA-USE, VIRTUAL STORE ENVIRONMENTS, COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT, Political and social sciences
  • Disciplines:Communication sciences, Journalism and professional writing, Media studies, Other media and communications
  • Research techniques:Experimental and survey research SPSS, MPlus Eyetracking, neurophysiological measures (skin conductance, facial EMG) Certified FACS coder
  • Users of research expertise:Advertising industry Market research companies Public sector (social marketing campaigns) Digital games industry