Giovanni Telesca is an assistant professor in Social Psychology at the Institute of Psychology of the Jagiellonian University. He is currently working on the project “Motivational Readiness in the Face of Crises: Strengthening Global Public Engagement” (P.I.: dr. Ewa Szumowska), whose aim is to understand the motivational factors that promote public engagement in the context of several global crises.

He obtained a PhD in Learning and Innovation in Social Contexts and Organizations at the University of Siena (Italy), with a dissertation in Social Psychology (advisor: Prof. Marika Rullo) and worked as Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy; supervisor: prof. Loris Vezzali).

His research interests are related to several topics in moral, social, environmental, and political psychology, such as intergroup relations and solidarity with disadvantaged groups (like refugees), conspiracy beliefs and political participation, radicalization and political polarization, and activism, volunteering and civic engagement.

His other main line of research focuses on the role of moral role models and positive moral emotions like moral elevation on social influence processes related to prosocial behaviors. 

Since 2023, he also has a podcast in Italian, The Social Mind, aimed at popularization and dissemination of social psychology.