Research

Research Agenda

My research agenda examines the causes and consequences of intergroup violence and the conditions under which reconciliation becomes possible in deeply divided societies. I am particularly interested in the design and testing of interventions that aim to foster trust and cooperation between members of adversarial groups. 

My award-winning dissertation project examines the relationship between the acknowledgment of wrongdoings and reconciliation in post-conflict Bosnia-Herzegovina. I argue that the lack of public support for reconciliation does not necessarily reflect deeply entrenched beliefs, but rather a dynamic that can be described as a victimhood trap, where competing narratives of victimhood generate widespread misperceptions about support for acknowledgment, reinforcing a status quo of mutual denial. Drawing on original observational and experimental studies, I show that individuals systematically underestimate the willingness of others—both within and across groups—to acknowledge wrongdoings. Correcting these misperceptions reduces denial and encourages individuals to support acknowledgment, while promoting mutual acknowledgment, where groups recognize their responsibility for wrongdoings, strengthens individual support for reconciliation by increasing feelings of understanding and inclusive perceptions of victimhood. These findings contribute to our understanding of the social and political dynamics of reconciliation and offer practical strategies for shifting attitudes and coordinating support for intergroup reconciliation.

A copy of my job market paper "Escaping the Victimhood Trap: Collective Acknowledgment and Acknowledgment Norms in the Aftermath of Conflict" can be found here.

Published Works

• Kljajić, M., Shelef, Nadav, and vanderWilden, Ethan. (2025). Collective victimhood beliefs and conflict-related attitudes: A meta-analysis. Comparative Politics Studies. 

• Niemi, L., Stanley, M., Kljajić, M., You, Z., & Doris, J. M. (2023). Political orientation and moral judgment of sexual misconduct. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 11(2), 478-500.

• Erickson, P., Kljajić, M., & Shelef, N. (2023). Domestic military deployments in response to COVID-19. Armed Forces & Society, 49(2), 350-371. 

Works under Review

Works in Progress