Dr. K.P. (Petter) Törnberg
Assistant Professor in Computational Social Science
Faculty of Science
ILLC
Visiting address
- Science Park 900
Postal address
Contact details
Social media
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Profile
Petter Törnberg is Assistant Professor at the Institute for Language, Logic and Computation at the University of Amsterdam, Associate Professor in Complex Systems at Chalmers University of Technology, NWO VENI laurate, and senior researcher at the University of Neuchâtel. His research focuses on the intersection of AI, social media, and politics, using digital data and computational methods for critical research that contributes to social scientific theory.
He has published over 40 peer-reviewed papers and chapters, in journals such as PNAS, New Media & Society, and Big Data & Society.
Expertise and research fields
- Social media
- AI
- Large Language Models
- Mediatisation
- (Affective) polarisation
- Platformisation
- Political communication
- Online radicalisation
- Misinformation
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Research
Research methods
- Social media
- Mediatization
- (Affective) polarization
- Platformization
- Political communication
- Online radicalization
- Misinformation
Current research projects
I am engaged in several current research projects on the relationship between social media and affective polarization, AI, the ongoing shifts in platformisation, and urban mediatisation.
Research grants & honours
- 2021 | NWO VENI. “Seeing the city through digital platforms”
- 2017 | EU Horizon 2020 ODYCCEUS. Political polarization and cultural conflict through digital data
- 2017 | Swedish Research Council. Dynamics of racist discourse in online social media
- 2012 | EU FP7-FET. “Emergence by Design” (MD) The dynamics and sustainability of sociotechnical change and innovation
Current cooperation with organisations
- Justus Uitermark, Ola Söderström, Sophie Oldfield, Juliana Chueri, Anton Törnberg. Among many others.
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Publications
- refereed (44)
- academic (5)
- professional (1)
- popular scientific (3)
- recognitions (10)
- supervised theses (2)
- datasets (2)
2025
Törnberg, A., & Törnberg, P. (2025). From Echo Chambers to Digital Campfires: The Making of an Online Community of Hate in Stormfront. In J. B. Walther, & R. E. Rice (Eds.), Social Processes of Online Hate (pp. 93-119). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003472148-5 [details]- Törnberg, A., & Törnberg, P. (2025). White supremacists anonymous: how digital media emotionally energize far-right movements. Journal of Information Technology & Politics, 22(1), 131-148. https://doi.org/10.1080/19331681.2023.2262459 [details]
- Törnberg, P., & Chueri, J. (2025). When Do Parties Lie? Misinformation and Radical-Right Populism Across 26 Countries. International Journal of Press/Politics. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/19401612241311886
2024
- Chueri, J., & Törnberg, P. (2024). Did Russia’s invasion of Ukraine unite Europe? Cohesion and divisions of the European Parliament on Twitter. Political Research Exchange, 6(1), Article 2299121. https://doi.org/10.1080/2474736X.2023.2299121
- Kiddle, R., Törnberg, P., & Trilling, D. (2024). Network toxicity analysis: An information-theoretic approach to studying the social dynamics of online toxicity. Journal of Computational Social Science, 7(1), 305-330. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42001-023-00239-2 [details]
- Törnberg, A., & Törnberg, P. (2024). Intimate Communities of Hate: Why Social Media Fuels Far-Right Extremism. (Routledge Studies in Political Sociology). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003108344 [details]
- Törnberg, P. (2024). Large Language Models Outperform Expert Coders and Supervised Classifiers at Annotating Political Social Media Messages. Social Science Computer Review. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/08944393241286471
- Törnberg, P., & Törnberg, A. (2024). Inside a White Power echo chamber: Why fringe digital spaces are polarizing politics. New Media & Society, 26(8), 4511-4533. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448221122915 [details]
- van Vliet, L., Chueri, J., Törnberg, P., & Uitermark, J. (2024). Political groups over national parties: Measuring the Europeanization of the political arena through MEPs Twitter interactions. Party Politics, 30(3), 479-492. https://doi.org/10.1177/13540688231158486 [details]
2023
- Törnberg, P. (2023). How platforms govern: Social regulation in digital capitalism. Big Data & Society, 10(1). Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/20539517231153808 [details]
- Törnberg, P. (2023). Identity and political polarization in post-industrial capitalism. In M. Bussey, M. Chakravorty, & C. Mozzini-Alister (Eds.), Transitional Selves: Possibilities for Identity in a Plurified World (pp. 134-154). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003396246-12 [details]
2022
- Törnberg, P. (2022). How to Situate Big Data in Social Scientific Thought. (SAGE Research Methods: Doing Research Online). SAGE Publications Ltd. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529611281 [details]
- Törnberg, P. (2022). How digital media drive affective polarization through partisan sorting. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 119(42), Article e2207159119. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2207159119 [details]
- Törnberg, P. (2022). How sharing is the “sharing economy”? Evidence from 97 Airbnb markets. PLoS ONE, 17(4), Article e0266998. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0266998 [details]
- Törnberg, P. (2022). Platform placemaking and the digital urban culture of Airbnbifcation. Urban Transformations, 4, Article 3. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42854-022-00032-w [details]
- Törnberg, P., & Uitermark, J. (2022). Tweeting ourselves to death: the cultural logic of digital capitalism. Media, Culture and Society, 44(3), 574-590. https://doi.org/10.1177/01634437211053766 [details]
- Törnberg, P., & Uitermark, J. (2022). Urban Mediatization and Planetary Gentrification: The Rise and Fall of a Favela across Media Platforms. City & Community, 21(4), 340-361. https://doi.org/10.1177/15356841211068521 [details]
- Törnberg, P., Olbrich, E., & Uitermark, J. (2022). Editorial: The Computational Analysis of Cultural Conflicts. Frontiers in Big Data, 5, Article 840584. https://doi.org/10.3389/fdata.2022.840584 [details]
2021
- Keuchenius, A., Törnberg, P., & Uitermark, J. (2021). Adoption and adaptation: A computational case study of the spread of Granovetter's weak ties hypothesis. Social Networks, 66, 10-25. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socnet.2021.01.001 [details]
- Keuchenius, A., Törnberg, P., & Uitermark, J. (2021). Why it is important to consider negative ties when studying polarized debates: A signed network analysis of a Dutch cultural controversy on Twitter. PLoS ONE, 16(8), Article e0256696. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0256696 [details]
- Törnberg, A., & Törnberg, P. (2021). “Wake-up call for the white race”: How Stormfront framed the elections of Obama and Trump. Mobilization, 26(3), 285–302. https://doi.org/10.17813/1086-671X-26-3-285 [details]
- Törnberg, P. (2021). Short-Term Rental Platforms: Home-sharing or sharewashed neoliberalism? In T. Sigler, & J. Corcoran (Eds.), A Modern Guide to the Urban Sharing Economy (pp. 72-86). (Elgar Modern Guides). Edward Elgar Publishing. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781789909562.00013 [details]
- Törnberg, P., & Uitermark, J. (2021). For a heterodox computational social science. Big Data and Society, 8(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/20539517211047725 [details]
- Törnberg, P., Andersson, C., Lindgren, K., & Banisch, S. (2021). Modeling the emergence of affective polarization in the social media society. PLoS ONE, 16(10), Article e0258259. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0258259 [details]
- van Vliet, L., Törnberg, P., & Uitermark, J. (2021). Political Systems and Political Networks: The Structure of Parliamentarians’ Retweet Networks in 19 Countries. International Journal of Communication, 15, 2156-2176. https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/15867 [details]
2020
- Törnberg, P., & Chiappini, L. (2020). Selling black places on Airbnb: Colonial discourse and the marketing of black communities in New York City. Environment and Planning A, 52(3), 553-572. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/0308518X19886321 [details]
- Törnberg, P., & Törnberg, A. (2020). Minding the gap between culture and connectivity: Laying the foundations for a relational mixed methods social network analysis. In D. E. Froehlich, M. Rehm, & B. C. Rienties (Eds.), Mixed Methods Social Network Analysis: Theories and Methodologies in Learning and Education (pp. 58-71). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429056826-7 [details]
- Törnberg, P., & Uitermark, J. (2020). Complex Control and the Governmentality of Digital Platforms. Frontiers in Sustainable Cities, 2, Article 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/frsc.2020.00006
- van Vliet, L., Törnberg, P., & Uitermark, J. (2020). The Twitter parliamentarian database: Analyzing Twitter politics across 26 countries. PLoS ONE, 15(9), Article e0237073. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0237073 [details]
2019
- Andersson, C., & Törnberg, P. (2019). Toward a Macroevolutionary Theory of Human Evolution: The Social Protocell. Biological Theory, 14(2), 86-102. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13752-018-0313-y [details]
- Andersson, C., Törnberg, A., & Törnberg, P. (2019). Wicked systems and the friction between “old theory and new data” in biology, social science and archaeology. In A. C. Love, & W. C. Wimsatt (Eds.), Beyond the Meme: Development and Structure in Cultural Evolution (pp. 470-498). (Minnesota Studies in the Philosophy of Science; Vol. 22). University of Minnesota Press. https://doi.org/10.5749/j.ctvnp0krm.16 [details]
- Chiappini, L., & Törnberg, P. (2019). Deus ex machina: makerspaces in Milan and their transformative potential. In J. Kaae Fisker, L. Chiappini, L. Pugalis, & A. Bruzzese (Eds.), The Production of Alternative Urban Spaces: An International Dialogue (pp. 73-92). (Regions and Cities; Vol. 130). Routledge. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315103952-5 [details]
- Giabbanelli, P. J., Castellani, B., Voinov, A. A., & Törnberg, P. (2019). Ideal, best, and emerging practices in creating artificial societies. In 2019 Spring Simulation Conference (SpringSim) IEEE. https://doi.org/10.23919/SpringSim.2019.8732881
2018
- Andersson, C., & Törnberg, P. (2018). Wickedness and the Anatomy of Complexity. Futures, 95, 118-138. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2017.11.001 [details]
- Törnberg, P. (2018). Complex realist economics: toward an ontology for an interested pluralism. Review of Social Economy, 76(4), 509-534. https://doi.org/10.1080/00346764.2018.1480796 [details]
- Törnberg, P. (2018). Echo chambers and viral misinformation: Modeling fake news as complex contagion. PLoS ONE, 13(9), Article e0203958. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0203958 [details]
- Törnberg, P., & Törnberg, A. (2018). The limits of computation: A philosophical critique of contemporary Big Data research. Big Data & Society, 5(2), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1177/2053951718811843 [details]
2017
- Törnberg, A., & Törnberg, P. (2017). Modelling free social spaces and the diffusion of social mobilization. Social Movement Studies, 16(2), 182-202. https://doi.org/10.1080/14742837.2016.1266243
2016
- Andersson, C., & Törnberg, P. (2016). Fidelity and the speed of the treadmill: The combined impact of population size, transmission fidelity, and selection on the accumulation of cultural complexity. American Antiquity, 81(3), 576-590. https://doi.org/10.7183/0002-7316.81.3.576
- Törnberg, A., & Törnberg, P. (2016). Combining CDA and topic modeling: Analyzing discursive connections between Islamophobia and anti-feminism on an online forum. Discourse and Society, 27(4), 401-422. https://doi.org/10.1177/0957926516634546
- Törnberg, A., & Törnberg, P. (2016). Muslims in social media discourse: Combining topic modeling and critical discourse analysis. Discourse, Context and Media, 13, 132-142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcm.2016.04.003
2014
- Andersson, C., Törnberg, A., & Törnberg, P. (2014). An evolutionary developmental approach to cultural evolution. Current Anthropology, 55(2), 154-174. https://doi.org/10.1086/675692
- Andersson, C., Törnberg, A., & Törnberg, P. (2014). Developing of the future: Scaffolded Darwinism in societal evolution. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 37(4), 417-418. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X13003105
- Andersson, C., Törnberg, A., & Törnberg, P. (2014). Societal systems - Complex or worse? Futures, 63, 145-157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2014.07.003
2023
- Törnberg, K. P. (2023). How to use Large Language Models for Text Analysis. SAGE Publications Ltd. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2307.13106
- Törnberg, P. (2023). ChatGPT-4 Outperforms Experts and Crowd Workers in Annotating Political Twitter Messages with Zero-Shot Learning. (v1 ed.) ArXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2304.06588 [details]
- Törnberg, P. (2023). Interpreting Big Data: Tracing Meaning-Making Through 20 Years of White Power Discussions. (SAGE Research Methods: Doing Research Online). SAGE Publications Ltd. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529667158 [details]
- Törnberg, P., Valeeva, D., Uitermark, J., & Bail, C. (2023). Simulating Social Media Using Large Language Models to Evaluate Alternative News Feed Algorithms. (v1 ed.) ArXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2310.05984 [details]
2014
- Andersson, C., Törnberg, A., & Törnberg, P. (2014). Author reply. Current Anthropology, 55(2), 169-171.
2017
- van der Valk, I., & Törnberg, P. (2017). Monitor moslimdiscriminatie: Derde rapportage. IMES, Universiteit van Amsterdam. http://imes.uva.nl/binaries/content/assets/subsites/institute-for-migration--ethnic-studies/publications/derde-monitor-moslimdiscriminatie.pdf?2981217547959 [details]
2023
- Törnberg, K. P. (2023). The Urban Attention Economy: How our Cities are Rebuilt for Social Media. Mediapolis, 8(1). https://www.mediapolisjournal.com/2023/03/urban-attention-economy/
2021
- Eaton, A., Törnberg, K. P., & van de Ven, C. (2021). De online echoput van extreem-rechts. De Groene Amsterdammer, (21). https://www.groene.nl/artikel/de-online-echoput-van-extreem-rechts
2018
- Keuchenius, A. (Author), & Törnberg, K. P. (Author). (2018). ScienceTeaser: The Spread of Scientific Ideas. Digital or Visual Products, YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La8p2Ie8CXI
Prize / grant
- Tornberg, P. (2020). NWO Veni "Seeing the city through digital platforms". https://www.nwo.nl/en/researchprogrammes/nwo-talent-programme/projects-veni/2020
Media appearance
- Törnberg, P. (16-01-2024). Populisme krijgt op YouTube het grootste podium [Print] NRC. Populisme krijgt op YouTube het grootste podium. https://advance.lexis.com/api/permalink/ca641806-9d72-4420-a500-8829a734c443/?context=1519360&identityprofileid=4WBGCC56941
- Törnberg, P. (15-01-2024). Het YouTube-algoritme beloont conflict en ophef, en speelt daarmee populistische partijen in de kaart. Tijdens de verkiezingen had het algoritme een sterke voorkeur voor video’s over de PVV en Forum voor Democratie, blijkt uit nieuw onderzoek. [Web] NRC. Populisme krijgt op YouTube het grootste podium. https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2024/01/15/populisme-krijgt-op-youtube-het-grootste-podium-a4187022#:~:text=Polarisatie%20Het%20YouTube%2Dalgoritm…
- Törnberg, P. (03-11-2022). Het idee van de bubbel op sociale media is achterhaald [Web] Folia. Het idee van de bubbel op sociale media is achterhaald. https://www.folia.nl/wetenschap/154100/het-idee-van-de-bubbel-op-sociale-media-is-achterhaald
Talk / presentation
- Törnberg, K. P. (speaker) (17-9-2017). The Gendered Selfie: Studying Gender on Social Media, Conference on Complex Systems. Cancun, Mexico, Cancun.
- Törnberg, K. P. (invited speaker) (2017). Complexity and the Social, UvA/Spui 25.
- Törnberg, K. P. (invited speaker) (2017). The Social Complexity of Digital Data, ECCO/GBI. VUB. Brussels.
- Törnberg, A. (invited speaker) & Törnberg, K. P. (invited speaker) (2017). Mixed-methods Digital Research: Complexity and the Digital World, DigSum at Umeå University, Sweden..
- Chiappini, L. (invited speaker) & Törnberg, K. P. (invited speaker) (2017). Gentrification issues between North and South, East and West: Case study on gentrification processes through the lens of digital data, Politecnico di Milano, architectural department.
Others
- Törnberg, K. P. (organiser) (15-11-2017). “Quantitative Tools for Qualitative Analysis: Computational Social Science meets Discourse Analysis” at “European Symposium Series on Societal Challenges in Computational Social Science”, London (organising a conference, workshop, ...).
2025
2021
- Keuchenius, A., Törnberg, P. & Uitermark, J. (17-8-2021). Data for ''Why it is important to consider negative ties when studying polarized debates on Twitter: a signed network analysis of a Dutch cultural controversy on Twitter". Universiteit van Amsterdam. https://doi.org/10.21942/uva.14176493
2020
- Keuchenius, A., Uitermark, J. & Tornberg, P. (25-5-2020). Data for "Adoption and Adaptation: A Computational Case Study of the Spread of Granovetter’s Weak Ties Hypothesis". Universiteit van Amsterdam. https://doi.org/10.21942/uva.12310046.v1
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Ancillary activities
No ancillary activities
Törnberg, A., & Törnberg, P. (2025). From Echo Chambers to Digital Campfires: The Making of an Online Community of Hate in Stormfront. In J. B. Walther, & R. E. Rice (Eds.), Social Processes of Online Hate (pp. 93-119). Routledge.