Short Bio:

Hi, my name is Olivia! In my research, I'm interested in better understanding the risky choices we face in life: What these choices are and how we decide whether to take a risk. This includes considering risky choices from multiple perspectives: from laypeople, from experts in the field of behavioral science, and from the perspective of measurable life outcomes. To what degree do the choices from these different perspectives overlap? What are the situational and psychological drivers that come into play when facing these choices? With this research, I hope to better understand the types and drivers of risky choices we as psychologists should investigate more closely.

Furthermore, I am intrigued by the current discourse surrounding the topic of 'polarization'. I investigate the many ways we can operationalize it and how we can make more nuanced claims about polarization in societally relevant issues.

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Education:

  • 2022 - present: PhD, University of Zurich, Switzerland
  • 2019 - 2021: Msc Psychology, University of Basel, Switzerland
  • 2015 - 2018: Bsc Psychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland

Web & Social Media:

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Publications:

Fischer, O., & Frey, R. (2024). The many flavors of polarization: A systematic comparison of different conceptualizations and contexts. PsyArXiv. doi:10.31234/osf.io/bv496


Fischer, O., Jeitziner, L. T., & Wulff, D. U. (2024). Affect in science communication: a data-driven analysis of TED talks on YouTube. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 11, 1–9. Online | PDF


Fischer, O., Lob, A. B., & Frey, R. (2024). To reuse a needle or to pay digitally? A comparative analysis of researchers' and laypeople's perspectives on risky choices and associated mechanisms. PsyArXiv. doi:10.31234/osf.io/h43cj


Frey, R., & Fischer, O. (2024). Mapping the ecology of risk: 100 risky choices of modern life. PsyArXiv. doi:10.31234/osf.io/a2kfs


Lob, A. B., Fischer, O., & Frey, R. (2024). A taxonomy of state-specific psychological mechanisms underlying decisions under risk and uncertainty. Manuscript in preparation.