Sucharita Belavadi is an Assistant Professor in Psychology at FLAME University. Sucharita received a PhD in Psychology from Claremont Graduate University (CGU). Her research examines human behaviour in groups and the ways in which attachment and identification with groups drives varied social behaviours. Using the lens of social identity theory, her research examines the processes of language maintenance and preservation in ethnolinguistic groups, predictors of support for populist leaders, the role of rhetoric and communication between groups in shaping social identity and ingroup norms, and predictors of ingroup polarization and extremism in groups. Overall, she is interested in investigating the role that uncertainty about the self plays in driving support for extreme leaders and polarization between groups. Her research focus lies broadly within the areas of social and political psychology. Sucharit a is a Consulting Editor for the journal Group Processes and Intergroup Relations.

Journal Publications

• Giles, H., Belavadi, S., Hansen, K., & Gardikiotis, A. (2025). Towards establishing applied intergroup communication as a key component of the study of intergroup relations: Three case studies. Atlantic Journal of Communication, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1080/15456870.2025.2525793


• Belavadi, S., & Hogg, M. A. (2025). Restoring ingroup status and glory: Essentialism as ingroup preservation when collective victimhood narratives Are endorsed. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 44, 391-416. https://doi.org/10.1177/0261927X251323987


• Wagoner, J. A., Belavadi, S., Gardikiotis, A., Barbieri, B., & Antonini, M. (2025). Ideological religious nationalism: Measurement, construct validity, and cross-cultural comparisons. The Journal of Social Psychology, 1-33. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.2024.2441312


• Malu, B., Belavadi, S., Chhabra, S., Kareepadath, S. R., & Dochania, R. (2024). You are not Sikkimese enough: Understanding collective action tendencies of Old Settlers in Sikkim using SIMCA. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 27, 552-570. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajsp.12614


• Belavadi S., & Hogg, M. A. (2023). If they rise, will We fall? Social identity uncertainty and preference for collective victimhood rhetoric. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 53, 743-751. https://doi.org/10.1111/jasp.12964


• Belavadi, S., Gardikiotis, A., & Hogg, M. A. (2023). Social identity uncertainty during the Greek financial crisis: The role of media narratives. Psychology of Language and Communication, 27, 84 -106. https://doi.org/10.58734/plc-2023-0005


• Belavadi, S., & Hogg, M. A. (2019). Social categorization and identity processes in uncertainty management: The role of intragroup communication. Advances in Group Processes, 36, 61-77. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0882-614520190000036006


• Belavadi, S., & Hogg, M. A. (2018). We are victims! How observers evaluate a group’s claims of collective victimhood. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 48, 651-660. https://doi.org/10.1111/jasp.12555


• Belavadi, S., & Hogg, M. A. (2016). Conflict between ethnolinguistic groups: Language traitors, language loyalists, and the influence of uncertainty. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 35, 446-475. https://doi.org/10.1177/0261927X15621104


• Wagoner, J., Belavadi, S., & Jung, J. (2016). Social identity uncertainty: Conceptualization, measurement, and construct validity. Self and Identity, 16, 505-530. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298868.2016.1275762

Book Chapters

• Hogg, M. A., & Belavadi, S. (2025). Leadership as social influence. In R. Prislin (Ed.), Research handbook on social influence. Edward Elgar Publishing.


• Belavadi, S., & Hogg, M. A. (2021). Social identity and intergroup competition. In S. M. Garcia, A. Tor, & A. Elliot (Eds.), Oxford handbook on the psychology of competition. Oxford University Press.


• Belavadi, S., Rinella, M., & Hogg, M. A. (2020). When social identity-defining groups become violent: Collective responses to identity uncertainty, status erosion, and resource threat. In C. A. Ireland, M. Lewis, A. C Lopez, & J. L. Ireland (Eds.), The handbook of collective violence: Current developments and understanding (pp. 17-30). Routledge.


• Belavadi, S. (2017). Norm talk and intergroup communication. In H. Giles & J. Harwood (Eds.), Oxford research encyclopedia of intergroup communication (Vol. 2, pp. 193-203). Oxford University Press.


• Belavadi, S. (2017). Uncertainty and extremism. In H. Giles & J. Harwood (Eds.), Oxford research encyclopedia of intergroup communication (Vol. 2, pp. 434-447). Oxford University Press.


• Hogg, M. A., & Belavadi, S. (2017). Uncertainty management theories. In H. Giles & J. Harwood (Eds.), Oxford research encyclopedia of intergroup communication (Vol. 2, pp. 447-461). Oxford University Press.

Select Conference Presentations

• Belavadi, S., Hogg, M. A. (2024). The appeal of collective victimhood rhetoric by leaders: Implications for intergroup relations. Paper presented at the 18th International Conference on Language and Social Psychology. Baltic Film, Media and Arts School, Tallinn University, Estonia, June 12-16, 2024.


• Belavadi, S., Hogg, M. A. (2019). They rise, so we fall: Uncertainty about ingroup survival and preference for leader rhetoric. Paper presented at the European Association of Social Psychology Meeting on Intergroup Communication. Bologna, Italy, June 26-28, 2019.


• Belavadi, S., Gardikiotis, A., Hogg, M. A. (2017). National identification and attitude polarization under media produced uncertainty: A Greek context. Paper presented at the 40th Annual Scientific Meeting of the International Society of Political Psychology (ISPP). Edinburgh, Scotland, June 29-July 2, 2017.


• Belavadi, S., & Hogg, M. A. (2016). Communicating collective victimhood: Legitimizing violence by uncertain groups and perceived group entitativity. Paper presented at the 66th Annual Meeting of the International Communication Association (ICA). Tokyo, Japan. June 9-13, 2016.


• Belavadi, S., & Hogg, M. A. (2015). Relative power and group victimization:
  Evaluations of group entitativity, uncertainty, and legitimacy of retribution. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the International Society of Political Psychology (ISPP). San Diego, CA. July 3-6, 2015.


• Belavadi, S., & Hogg, M. A. (2014). Uncertainty and intergroup communication: Language-based conflict in southwestern India. Paper presented at the 64th Annual Meeting of the International Communication Association. May 22-26, 2014.