Michael J. Platow

Michael J. Platow is a Professor in the Research School of Psychology at the Australian National University, a position held since 2003, and is currently affiliated with the School of Medicine and Psychology at the same institution. Platow received a B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1985, a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1991, and a Master of Higher Education from the Australian National University in 2010. Much of Platow's research draws on social identity theory and self-categorization theory to examine leadership, group processes, prejudice, and misinformation, including causal inference in conspiracy and fake news research and the conditions under which false information spreads and is believed. Platow has also applied these frameworks to clinical and therapeutic contexts, medical education, and collective responses to public health challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic.