Wei (David) Wang

Wei (David) Wang studies how perceptions of what others think shapes people’s political attitudes and behavior.

Wei Wang, who goes by David, is a joint doctoral student at the Annenberg School for Communication and the Department of Political Science. Broadly, he researches political communication, political psychology, and public opinion. Specifically, his current research mainly seeks to answer the following question: How do news and social media shape people’s perceptions of social reality, and how do such perceptions influence political attitudes and behavior? His master’s thesis, for example, examined the widespread underestimation of pro-climate attitudes in the U.S., and tested interventions to correct these misperceptions.

Prior to joining the University of Pennsylvania, David completed his M.A. in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin-Madison, advised by Dr. Mike Wagner. He completed his B.A. in linguistics and journalism at Indiana University-Bloomington.