Ewa Szumowska

Projects

Current Research Projects

1. Motivational Readiness in the Face of Crises: Strengthening Global Public Engagement. OPUS grant (2024/55/B/HS6/01941) awarded to Ewa Szumowska from the National Centre for Science (2025-2029).
2. Balance Model of Goal Switching: From Multitasking to Extremism. OPUS grant (2020/37/B/HS6/01588) awarded to Ewa Szumowska from the National Centre for Science (2021-2025).

Past Research Projects

1. Self-verification in the context of epistemic motivation. OPUS grant (2017/27/B/HS6/01120) awarded to Ewa Szumowska from the National Centre for Science (2018-2021).
2. Situtational predictors of multitasking in the context of the goal systems theory. Mobility Plus grant awarded to Ewa Szumowska from the Polish Ministry of Science (2018-2019).
3. Theory of goal commitment. OPUS grant (2015/19/B/HS6/01253) awarded to Katarzyna Jaśko from the National Centre for Science (2016-19).
4. Laboratory of experimental philosophy: normative implications of the identified victim effect.Interdisciplinary grant awarded to Tomasz Żuradzki from the National Program of Humanities Development (2016-2018).
5. Motivational, affective, and cognitive sources of knowledge formation process: Implications for intrapersonal, interpersonal and intergroup phenomena. MAESTRO Grant awarded to prof. Małgorzata Kossowska by the National Centre for Science.

Publications

Papers in English

1. Bonarska, K., Cacek, J., Szumowska, E., & Kruglanski, A. W. (2025). To dream the impossible dream: how personal energy fuels ambition and extreme commitment. Motivation and Emotion, 1-17
2. Bonarska, K., Cacek, J., Szumowska, E., Śmieja, M., & Kruglanski, A. W. (2025). Fear of being single and extreme behaviors aimed at finding a romantic partner. Acta Psychologica,  254, 104868. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.104868
3. Toribio‑Florez, D., Altenmüller, M. S., Douglas, K. M., Gollwitzer, M., Bret, A., Valdez, A. C., Cologna, V., Czarnek, G., Delouvée, S., Doell, K. C., Dohle, S., … Wojcik, A. D. (2025). Victims of conspiracies? An examination of the relationship between conspiracy beliefs and dispositional individual victimhood. European Journal of Social Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.70008
4. Kruglanski, A. W., Ellenberg, M., Szumowska, E., Dragon, P., Pierro, A., Contu, F., … & Wang, M. (2025). Facing the unknown with hope or fear: On the affective reactions to outcome uncertainty. European Review of Social Psychology, 1-36.
5. Śmieja, M., Walczak, A., Cacek, J., Górski, M. R., Bond, M. H., Gjoneska, B., Hussain, M. A., Joshanloo, M., , … & Krys, K. (2025). Love, culture, and well-being: How values moderate the link between relationship status and well-being across 57 countries. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 108, 102232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102232
6. Mede, N. G., Cologna, V., Berger, S., Besley, J., Brick, C., Joubert, M., … & Metag, J. (2025). Perceptions of science, science communication, and climate change attitudes in 68 countries–the TISP dataset. Scientific Data, 12(1), 114. 
7. Szumowska, E., Kruglanski, A. W., Czernatowicz-Kukuczka, A., Kossowska, M., Załuski, W., & Laurijssen, M. (2024). Freedom under constraints: Accentuating the positive in the time of corona. Motivation Science, 10(4), 346–365.
8. Özkan, Z., Kossowska, M., Szumowska, E., Perek-Białas, J., & Szwed, P. (2025). Threat Perceptions and Closeness to Refugees: A Three-Wave Longitudinal Study. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672251352899
9. Cologna, V., Meiler, S., Kropf, C. M., Lüthi, S., Mede, N. G., Bresch, D. N., … & Linden, S. V. D. (2025). Extreme weather event attribution predicts climate policy support across the world. Nature Climate Change, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02372-4
10. Szumowska, E., Jasko, K., Dukała, K., & Górska, P. (2025). Goal cycle: motivational and emotional antecedents and consequences of goal progress. Motivation and Emotion, 1-22.
11. Kruglanski, A. W., Ellenberg, M., Yu, H., Lemay Jr, E. P., Moskalenko, S., Szumowska, E., Molinario, E., Pierro, A. & Contu, F. (2025). A formula for love: Partner merit and appreciation beget actor significance. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 1-68.
12. Cologna, V., Mede, N. G., Berger, S., Besley, J., Brick, C., Joubert, M., … & Metag, J. (2025). Trust in scientists and their role in society across 68 countries. Nature Human Behaviour, 9(4), 713-730. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-02090-5
13. Kossowska, M., Chan, H. W., Hong, Y. Y., & Szumowska, E. (2025). Longitudinal effects of helping war refugees on intergroup threat and fear of war: The role of perceived helping functionality. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 28(3), 648-672.
14. Szumowska, E., Kruglanski, A. W., Czernatowicz-Kukuczka, A., Kossowska, M., Załuski, W., & Laurijssen, M. (2024). Freedom under constraints: Accentuating the positive in the time of corona. Motivation Science. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/mot0000349
15. Sankaran, S., Szumowska, E., & Kossowska, M. (2024). “Always look on the bright side of life”: The role of adaptive rumination on goal pursuit and cognitive task performance. Journal of Individual Differences. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1027/1614-0001/a000413
16. Kossowska, M.,  Szwed, P.,  Czernatowicz-Kukuczka, A.,  Perek-Białas, J.,  Szumowska, E.,  Kruglanski, A. W., Gadowska, K.,  Kamińska, M., &  Załuski, W. (2024).  Socio-psychological barriers preventing people from helping in times of crisis: A scoping review. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology,  34(2), e2775. https://doi.org/10.1002/casp.2775
17. Kossowska, M., Perek-Białas, J., Blukacz, M., Szwed, P., Szumowska, E., & Czernatowicz-Kukuczka, A. (2023). Mass mobilizations for helping war refugees: The role of fear, closeness, and norms. Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology, 100153.
18. Kossowska, M., Szwed, P., Szumowska, E., Perek-Białas, J., & Czernatowicz-Kukuczka, A. (2023). The role of fear, closeness, and norms in shaping help towards war refugees. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 1465.
19. Kruglanski, A. W., Ellenberg, M., Szumowska, E., Molinario, E., Speckhard, A., Leander, N. P., Pierro, A., Di Cicco, G., & Bushman, B. J. (2023). Frustration–aggression hypothesis reconsidered: The role of significance quest. Aggressive Behavior, 1–24.
20. Szumowska, E., Szwed, P., Wójcik, N., & Kruglanski, A. W. (2023). The interplay of positivity and self-verification strivings: Feedback preference under increased desire for self-enhancement. Learning and Instruction, 83, 101715. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2022.101715
21. Szumowska, E., & Kruglanski, A. W. (2022). The psychology of getting busy: Multitasking as a consequence of goal activation. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 151(1), 137–160.
22. Szumowska, E., Wójcik, N., Szwed, P., & Kruglanski, A. W. (2022). Says Who? Credibility Effects in Self-Verification Strivings, Psychological Science, 33(5), 699-715. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/09567976211049439 (open access)
23. Kruglanski, A.W., Szumowska, E. & Kopetz. C. E. (2021). The call of the wild: How extremism happens. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 30(2), 181-185.
24. Kruglanski, A. W., Szumowska, E., Kopetz, C. H., Vallerand, R. J., & Pierro, A. (2021). On the psychology of extremism: How motivational imbalance breeds intemperance. Psychological Review,128(2), 264–289.
25. Popławska, A., Szumowska, E., & Kuś, J. (2021). Why Do We Need Media Multitasking? A Self-Regulatory Perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 269.
26. Kruglanski, A. W., & Szumowska, E. (2020). Habitual behavior is goal-driven. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 15(5), 1256-1271.
27. Kossowska, M., Szumowska, E., Szwed, P., Czernatowicz-Kukuczka, A.,  & Kruglanski, A. (2020). Helping when the desire is low: Expectancy as a Booster. Motivation & Emotion. DOI: 10.1007/s11031-020-09853-3 Full text available here
28. Szumowska, E., & Kruglanski, A. W. (2020). Curiosity as end and means. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 35, 35–39. doi:10.1016/j.cobeha.2020.06.008
29. Szumowska, E., Czarnek, G., Dragon, P. & De Keersmaecker, J. (2020). Correction after misinformation: Does engagement in media multitasking affect attitude adjustment?, Comprehensive Results in Social Psychology, 4(2), 199-226. https://doi.org/10.1080/23743603.2021.1884495
30. Kruglanski, A. W., Fernandez, J. F., Factor, A. R., & Szumowska, E. (2019). Cognitive mechanisms in violent extremism. Cognition, 188, 116-123.
31. Szumowska, E. & Kruglanski, A. W. (2019). A Stroll through the Garden of “Goodness” and “Badness”: The Goal Systemic View on the Value of Actions and Outcomes. Psychological Inquiry, 30, 3, 151-154.
32. Klein, R. A., Vianello, M., Hasselman, F., Adams, B. G., Adams, R. B., Jr., Alper, S., … Nosek, B. A. (2018, November 19). Many Labs 2: Investigating Variation in Replicability Across Sample and Setting. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/9654g (pre-print available here: https://psyarxiv.com/9654g/).
33. Kossowska, M., Szumowska, E., Dragon, P., Jaśko, K. & Kruglanski, A. (2018). Disparate Roads to Certainty: Processing Strategy Choices under Need for Cognitive Closure. European Review of Social Psychology. DOI: 10.1080/10463283.2018.1493066 
34. Szumowska, E., Popławska – Boruc, A., Kossowska, M. (2018). How many things do you (like to) do at once? The relationship between need for closure and multitasking preference and behavior. Personality & Individual Differences, 134, 222-231 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2018.06.023
35. Szumowska, E., Kossowska, M., Roets, A. (2018). Motivation to comply with task rules and multitasking performance: The role of need for cognitive closure and goal importance, Motivation & Emotion, 42, 360–376, DOI: 10.1007/s11031-018-9678-2 Full text available here
36. Sankaran, S., Szumowska, E., Kossowska, M. (2017). When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Motivation towards closure and effort investment in the performance of cognitive tasks. Motivation & Emotion. Advance online publication
37. Szumowska, E., Szwed, P., Kossowska, M., Wright, R. (2017). Multifaceted Effects of Need for Cognitive Closure on Effort: A Cardiovascular Response Study. Motivation Science, 3(4), 369-382. doi: 10.1037/mot0000053. Advance online publication
38. Szumowska, E., & Kossowska, M. (2017). Motivational rigidity enhances multitasking performance: The role of handling interruptions. Personality and Individual Differences, 106, 81-89. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2016.10.040 Full text available here
39. Szumowska, E. & Kossowska, M. (2017). Need for cognitive closure and attention allocation during multitasking: Evidence from eye-tracking studies. Personality and Individual Differences, 111, 272–280. doi: 0.1016/j.paid.2017.02.014  Full text available here
40. Kossowska, M., Czernatowicz-Kukuczka, A., Szumowska, E., & Czarna, A. (2016). Cortisol and moral decisions among young men: The moderating role of motivation toward closure. Personality and Individual Differences, 101, 249-253. Full text available here.
41. Szumowska, E., & Kossowska, M. (2016). Need for Closure and Multitasking Performance: The Role of Shifting Ability. Personality and Individual Differences, 19, 12-17. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2016.02.055. Full text available here
42. Szumowska, E., & Kossowska, M. (2014). Causal attributions of immoral behaviors in relation to moral identity and moral strictness. Przegląd Psychologiczny, 57(3), 409-422.

Chapters in English

1. Ellenberg, M., Kruglanski, A. W., Szumowska, E., & Yu, H. (2025). Love, Motivated: Partner Merit and Appreciation as Sources of Significance. In A. Kruglanski, I, Prilleltensky, & A. Raviv (Eds.), The Routledge International Handbook of Human Significance and Mattering (pp. 180-189). Routledge.
2. Szumowska E., Kruglanski, A.W., Kopetz, C. (2023). Extremism and the extreme personality. In A.W. Kruglanski, A. Fishbach, and C. Kopetz (Eds.), Goal systems theory: Psychological processes and applications (p. 239-256). Oxford University Press.
3. Kossowska, M., Czarnek, G., Szumowska, E., & Szwed, P. (2022). Striving for certainty: epistemic motivations and (un) biased cognition. In J. Strömbäck, Å. Wikforss, K. Glüer, T. Lindholm, & H. Oscarsson (Eds.), Knowledge resistance in high-choice information environments (pp. 207–221). Routledge.
4. Szumowska, E., Czernatowicz-Kukuczka, A., Kossowska, M., Król., S., & Kruglanski, A. W. (2020). Truth and significance: A 3N Model (Needs, Narratives, Networks) perspective on religion. In K. Vail and C. Routledge (eds.), The science of religion, spirituality, and existentialism (pp. 225-242). London: Elsevier.
5. Szumowska, E. & Kossowska, M. (2020). Does Multitasking Require a Flexible Mind? Individual Differences in Need for Cognitive Closure and Multitasking Performance, Preference, and Behavior. In A.M. Columbus (Ed.), Advances in Psychology Research (Volume 140) (pp. 193-226). New York, NY: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
6. Szumowska, E. (2018). Measuring Multitasking Performance in the Face of Interruptions: Experimental Approach. In SAGE Research Methods Cases. DOI: 10.4135/9781526441935 Advanced online publication

Chapters in Polish

1. Kossowska, M., & Szumowska, E. (2020). Niepewność i potrzeba domknięcia poznawczego a przetwarzanie informacji [Uncertainty, need for cognitive closure and information processing]. In M. Kofta, A. M. Rędzio (eds.), Poczucie kontroli i niepewność: Konsekwencje dla rozumienia świata społecznego [The sense of control and uncertainty: Consequnces for understanding the social world] (s. 27-51). Warszawa: Liberi Libri.

2. Czernatowicz-Kukuczka, A., Kossowska, M., Czarnek, G., Szumowska, E., & Szwed, P. (2020). Radzenie sobie z niepewnością na poziomie przekonań i sądów społecznych [Dealing with uncertaitny at the level of social judgments and beliefs]. In M. Kofta and A. M. Rędzio (eds.), Poczucie kontroli i niepewność: Konsekwencje dla rozumienia świata społecznego [The sense of control and uncertainty: Consequnces for understanding the social world] (s. 111-138). Warszawa: Liberi Libri.

Books in English

Kruglanski, A. W., Kopetz, C., & Szumowska, E. (2022). The psychology of extremism: a motivational perspective. Routledge.

Kossowska, M., Szumowska, E., Szwed, P. (2020). The Psychology of Tolerance in Times of Uncertainty. Routledge.

Books in Polish

Kossowska, M., Szumowska, E., Szwed, P. (2018). Tolerancja w czasach niepewności [Tolerance in the Times of Uncertainty]. Smak Słowa.

Awards

2024 Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN) Award for Young Researchers, Laureatte in Social Sciences
2020 Scholarship for Outstanding Young Researchers awarded by the Minister of Science and Higher Education in Poland
2018 Blazej Szymura Award for best Ph.D. publication, Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University