Viviana Baraybar Hidalgo wins top PSA prize for dissertation on the concept of corruption

Congratulations to DPIR DPhil in Politics student Viviana Baraybar Hidalgo, who has been awarded the Political Studies Association’s (PSA) Walter Bagehot Prize for her dissertation ‘An Intuitionist Approach to Corruption’. 

Remarking on her prize-winning thesis – awarded for the best dissertation in the field of government and public administration - the PSA Prize judges said: “This thesis offers a fascinating and innovative reflection on the complex concept of corruption through the lens of morality and emotions, and backs it up with original and robust empirical evidence in multiple cultural settings”. 

We spoke to Viviana to ask her about the award and what it means to her future studies: 

Can you explain what your prize-winning thesis is about? 

My thesis explores the role of intuitive processes, in particular moral emotions, on individual’s judgements and behaviors concerning corruption. It brings together insights from moral and social psychology, evolutionary anthropology and political science to develop an argument about the role of moral intuitions in political judgements and behaviors. My empirical approach combines experiments with focus groups and text analysis. My results show that individuals think of corruption in moral terms, even when engaging in it, that intuitive processes have a relevant and independent role in how people judge and behave in relation to corruption, and that this role varies depending on the reference groups individuals account for when making judgements.

How do you feel to have won the award? 

I feel very honoured to have received this award and very thankful towards the evaluation panel. 

What does this mean to you and your future studies? 

This recognition is encouraging, as I continue to apply the theoretical framework from my dissertation to new projects. I am also working on transforming my theoretical section, as well as previous and new empirical studies, into a book-length publication. 

Can you tell us what you are currently working on? 

I am currently involved in several projects focused on democratic values, misinformation, and political participation. For these projects, I draw on key elements of my dissertation, including the influence of social identity and the role of intuitive processes on political perception and behaviour.