Chair of Computational Social Science

blonder Mann vor einer Bibliothek © Sven Ellger

Professor for Computational Social Science

Name

Mr Prof. Dr. Philipp Lorenz-Spreen

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Philipp Lorenz-Spreen examines how digital media, online platforms, and algorithmic systems are transforming society and democracy. His work focuses on political discourse, opinion formation, polarization, collective attention, and the dissemination of information. He investigates how human behavior, social networks, and the design of digital platforms interact.

His research combines communication studies, social sciences, and complexity science. To this end, he uses online experiments, field studies, large platform datasets, and computer simulations. His methods include network analysis, time-series analysis, causal inference, agent-based modeling, and computer-assisted text analysis. Another goal is the development of digital spaces that better support informed decision-making, civic participation, and democratic debate.

Research Interests
  • Digital media and democracy
  • How public opinion forms online
  • Political communication on online platforms
  • Polarization, populism, and institutional trust
  • Misinformation and disinformation
  • Collective attention and information dynamics
  • Recommendation algorithms and platform design
  • Digital public spaces and platform regulation
  • Human decision-making in digital information environments
  • Generative AI and public discourse
  • Computational Social Science
  • Network research and complex social systems
Publications
  • Borukhson, D., Fegert, J., und Lorenz-Spreen, P. 2026. Diverging associations of traditional versus social media with government trust. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 13, Artikel 1157. (https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-026-08323-4)
  • Scharfbillig, M., Lewandowsky, S., Altay, S., Van Alstyne, M., Kozyreva, A., Hertwig, R., Lorenz-Spreen, P. und weitere. 2026. Fractured reality. How democracy can win the global struggle over the information space. Publications Office of the European Union. (https://doi.org/10.2760/9358883)
  • Oswald, L., Schulz, W. S., und Lorenz-Spreen, P. 2025. Disentangling participation in online political discussions with a collective field experiment. Science Advances, 11, Artikel eady8022. (https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ady8022)
  • Nickl, P., Moussaïd, M., und Lorenz-Spreen, P. 2025. The evolution of online news headlines. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 12, Artikel 364. (https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04514-7)
  • Bak-Coleman, J. B., Lewandowsky, S., Lorenz-Spreen, P., Narayanan, A., Orben, A., und Oswald, L. 2025. Moving towards informative and actionable social media research. arXiv. (https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2505.09254)
  • Kozyreva, A., Lorenz-Spreen, P., Herzog, S. M. und weitere. 2024. Toolbox of individual-level interventions against online misinformation. Nature Human Behaviour, 8, 1044 bis 1052. (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-01881-0)
  • Grüning, D. J., Kamin, J., Panizza, F., Katsaros, M., und Lorenz-Spreen, P. 2024. A framework for promoting online prosocial behavior via digital interventions. Communications Psychology, 2, Artikel 6. (https://doi.org/10.1038/s44271-023-00052-7)
  • Lorenz-Spreen, P., Oswald, L., Lewandowsky, S., und Hertwig, R. 2023. A systematic review of worldwide causal and correlational evidence on digital media and democracy. Nature Human Behaviour, 7, 74 bis 101. (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01460-1)
  • Grüning, D. J., Riedel, F., und Lorenz-Spreen, P. 2023. Directing smartphone use through the self-nudge app one sec. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120, Artikel e2213114120. (https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2213114120)
  • Kozyreva, A., Herzog, S. M., Lewandowsky, S., Hertwig, R., Lorenz-Spreen, P., Leiser, M., und Reifler, J. 2023. Resolving content moderation dilemmas between free speech and harmful misinformation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120, Artikel e2210666120. (https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2210666120)
  • Helfmann, L., Djurdjevac Conrad, N., Lorenz-Spreen, P., und Schütte, C. 2023. Modelling opinion dynamics under the impact of influencer and media strategies. Scientific Reports, 13, Artikel 19375. (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-46187-9)
  • Lorenz-Spreen, P., Lewandowsky, S., Sunstein, C. R., und Hertwig, R. 2020. How behavioural sciences can promote truth, autonomy and democratic discourse online. Nature Human Behaviour, 4, 1102 bis 1109. (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-020-0889-7)
  • Baumann, F., Lorenz-Spreen, P., Sokolov, I. M., und Starnini, M. 2020. Modeling echo chambers and polarization dynamics in social networks. Physical Review Letters, 124, Artikel 048301. (https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.124.048301)
  • Lorenz-Spreen, P., Geers, M., Pachur, T., Hertwig, R., Lewandowsky, S., und Herzog, S. M. 2021. Boosting people’s ability to detect microtargeted advertising. Scientific Reports, 11, Artikel 15541. (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-94796-z)
  • Lorenz-Spreen, P., Mønsted, B. M., Hövel, P., und Lehmann, S. 2019. Accelerating dynamics of collective attention. Nature Communications, 10, Artikel 1759. (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-09311-w)
Research Grants
Since 2026

TRACE. Transparent Research on Algorithmic Content Exposure in Europe.
The project investigates the functioning and impact of recommendation algorithms used by major digital platforms. Funded by the Mercator Foundation.
Since 2026 BridgEU.
The project is testing recommendation systems that evaluate content based on more than just user interaction. These systems are also designed to consider whether posts reach people with different perspectives.
Funded by SPRIND.
2023–2026

SoMe4Dem. Social Media for Democracy.
The project investigates the impact of social media on democratic processes and develops approaches for a more open and resilient digital public sphere. Philipp Lorenz-Spreen, together with Ralph Hertwig, Stefan Herzog, and Anastasia Kozyreva, was involved in the Horizon Europe funding at the Max Planck Institute.
2021–2025 Reclaiming Individual Autonomy and Democratic Discourse Online. How to Rebalance Human and Algorithmic Decision-Making.
Funded by the Volkswagen Foundation. The collaborative project investigated how people can make better decisions and gain more control in digital information environments.
Current Activities
since 09/2026

Professor of Computational Social Science at TU Dresden. Jointly affiliated with the Institute of Media and Communication and SynoSys.
since 2026 Founding member of the Open Social Web Alliance.
since 2025 Fellow in the Computational Social Science Fellowship Program at LMU Munich.
since 10/2024

Head of the Computational Social Science research group at SynoSys, TU Dresden.

Research Associate in the Adaptive Rationality Research Division at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development.
since 2021 Member of the Board of Directors of the Prosocial Design Network.
Scientific Career

Academic Positions

since 09/2026 Professor of Computational Social Science, Institute of Media and Communication and SynoSys, TU Dresden.
Oct. 2024 – Aug. 2026 Director of the Early-Career Research Group in Computational Social Science, SynoSys, TU Dresden.
2021–2024 Researcher at the Center for Adaptive Rationality, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin.
2019–2021 Postdoctoral Fellow in the Adaptive Rationality Research Division, Max Planck Institute for Human Development.

Education

2018 Ph.D. (Dr. rer. nat.) in Theoretical Physics, Technical University of Berlin. Topic of the dissertation: The dynamics of collective attention.
2016 Master of Science in Physics, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.
2013 Bachelor of Science in Physics, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.
Awards
2024 Rising Star of the Association for Psychological Science.
2021 Leopoldina Prize for Young Scientists from the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.
Teaching
  • Introduction to Computational Social Science, Summer Semester 2025, Winter Semester 2025, and Summer Semester 2026.
  • Methods for Computational Social Sciences, Summer Semester 2025 and Summer Semester 2026. Co-taught with Dr. Sami Nenno.
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Last modified: Sep 17, 2026