Stephen Utych

Professor Steve Utych’s research focuses on political psychology and political behavior, primarily in American politics. His research interests include language in politics, the development of political attitudes, and how citizens seek out and process political information. Dr. Utych received his Ph.D. in political science from Vanderbilt University and his B.S. in Public Policy from Georgia Tech.

Dr. Utych’s research examines how the language used to discuss politics can influence political attitudes. In particular, he studies how the words used to describe political events can have an influence on political attitudes, above and beyond the content of the information.

Dr. Utych also studies how contextual events influence how citizens develop political attitudes and seek out political information. His research concludes that factors such as the level of competition in an election, a candidate’s perceived viability, and the proximity to an upcoming election influences how citizens think about and interact with politics.

Dr. Utych’s research has been published in the Journal of Politics. He has received grants and awards from Vanderbilt University and the American Political Science Association.