Mélinda Pozzi

I specialize in how people build, calibrate, and manage trust, both individually and in groups. My work focuses on epistemic vigilance (“who or what to believe?”) and strategic vigilance (“with whom to collaborate?”), and their application to understanding our information environments.

Through a combination of behavioral experiments and agent-based modeling, I study the cognitive foundations of trust and investigate how these mechanisms shape collective behaviors, including polarization, consensus-building, and societal resilience to mis- and disinformation.

Beyond academia, I apply my cognitive science research to policy, governance, and diplomacy as Co-Head Neuchâtel at foraus.