"ENCODE – Unveiling emotional dimensions of politics to foster European democracy"

Programme: Horizon Europe

Duration: 1.06.2024 – 31.05.2027

The ENCODE project, seeks to enhance democratic governance in Europe by examining the role of emotions in political decision-making. The project aims to create positive emotional narratives that address the emotional needs of European citizens. It challenges the traditional view that politics should be purely rational, instead recognizing that emotions are integral to political discourse. ENCODE proposes the concept of "affective pluralisation" to transform political environments by encouraging emotional engagement while maintaining democratic competition. The project investigates how social media amplifies emotions and spreads disinformation, employing advanced methodologies like face-tracking and biometric research to study emotional responses. By understanding the link between emotional responses and the appeal of populist and conspiracy theories, ENCODE aims to develop strategies to mitigate their impact. The project also explores how European identities and values can foster positive emotional responses,

In the ENCODE project, ASM is responsible for several key tasks:

• Project Management and Coordination: Which focuses on project and risk management, quality assurance, data management, and ethics. This involves overseeing the technical, scientific, and administrative coordination of the project, ensuring that the research activities align with ethical guidelines, and managing the collection, storage, and handling of research data.
• Neuroscience research: This task is dedicated to understanding citizen emotional responses through biometric and qualitative research. This includes developing methodologies to elicit emotions, conducting neurobiological measurements, and performing in-depth interviews. The results are synthesized into emotional maps that depict the discrepancies between affects and emotions at the country level.