Abby Post is an adjunct instructor of Political Science. She holds a PhD in Political Science from the Department of Politics at the University of Virginia, specializing in international security and research methodology. Her book project investigates the impact of moral language on public opinion, dispute escalation, and negotiation outcomes. Her dissertation, which the book project builds on, received the 2019 John McCain Dissertation Award (see media here). Her research also includes projects on costly signals and crisis bargaining, gender and foreign policy, and the use of laboratory and survey experimental methods to examine topics related to political violence and military force. Her research has been published in International Security, International Studies Quarterly, The Journal of Conflict Resolution, The Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, and International Interactions.
Courses Taught
PS 1531 National Security Studies
Education & Training
- PhD, University of Virginia, 2018
Representative Publications
Abigail Post and Todd Sechser (2024). “Hand-Tying through Military Signals in Crisis Bargaining.” International Studies Quarterly.
Abigail Post (2023). “Words Matter: The Effect of Moral Language on International Bargaining.” International Security.
Todd Sechser and Abigail Post (2023). “Mild Aggressive Behavior and Images of Real-Life Violence.” Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied.
Abigail Post and Paromita Sen (2020). “Why Can’t a Woman be More Like a Man? Female Leaders in Crisis Bargaining.” International Interactions.
Abigail Post (2019). “Flying to Fail: Costly Signals and Air Power in Crisis Bargaining.” The Journal of Conflict Resolution.
Research Interests
- International Bargaining
- Gender and Conflict
- Nuclear Security
- Military Technology
