CV
Education:
2014: BKO (University Teaching Qualification; completed at VU Amsterdam)
2002: PhD thesis "procedural justice and group dynamics". (Leiden University)
1994 – 1998: Psychology (Leiden University; graduated at the department Social and Organizational Psychology and at the department Psychometrics and Research methodology)
1987 – 1994: High school (Gymnasium, Johannes Calvijn, Rotterdam)
Academic positions:
2021-present: Endowed professor of Radicalization, Extremism, and Conspiracy Thinking. Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, Maastricht University.
2007-present: Associate professor, Department of Social & Organizational Psychology, VU Amsterdam (tenured)
2011-present: Senior researcher at the NSCR (Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement; 1 day a week)
2001-2007: Assistant professor, Department of Social Psychology, VU Amsterdam (tenured since 2004)
1998-2001: PhD student, Leiden University and VU Amsterdam
1998: Research assistant, Leiden University
Visiting scholar:
2023: University of Queensland Business school, Brisbane, Australia
2023: Slovak academy of Sciences; Bratislava and Kosice, Slovakia
2018: Vienna University of Economics and Business
2017: Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogjakarta, Indonesia
2016: London Business School, London
2015: IESEG School of Management, Paris, France
2013: University of Kent, Canterbury
2012: UCP-FCEE, Lisbon, Portugal
2011: UCP-FCEE, Lisbon, Portugal
2009: UCP-FCEE, Lisbon, Portugal
2008: UCP-FCEE, Lisbon, Portugal
2002: Tulane University, New Orleans, USA
2002: Duke University, Durham, USA
2002: New York University, New York, USA
Leadership positions:
2021-present: Program director of the Psychology Bachelor (VU)
2018-2021: Educational director KLI
2016-2021: Program director of the Research Master in Social Psychology (VU)
2016-2018: President of the International Society for Justice Research (ISJR)
Honors and Awards:
2018: Excellence in Teaching Award of the sections Social Psychology and and Work & Organizational Psychology, VU Amsterdam
2014: Excellence in Teaching Award of the department of Social and Organizational Psychology, VU Amsterdam
2012: The article “Be aware to care: Public self-awareness leads to a reversal of the bystander effect” by Van Bommel, Van Prooijen, Elffers, and Van Lange (JESP, 2012) won the Quellinus-award for the best article first-authored by a PhD student within the Phoolan Devi institute.
2006: Early Career Achievement Award of the International Society for Justice Research (ISJR); presented at the 14th ISJR Conference in Berlin, August 5, 2006
1998: J. P. van der Geer-Award for the best Master’s thesis of the psychology department (Leiden University)
Grants:
2022: A small leak will sink a great ship: The use of leaking behaviour for risk assessment of jihadist terrorist attacks. Internal funding Maastricht University for a PhD project (Awarded to Astrid Bastiaens; supervisors van Prooijen & Jelicic)
2022: The link between dogmatic intolerance and conspiracy beliefs. Funding for two post-docs (one at psychology, one at communication science) as part of the SSH sectorplan. (awarded to van Prooijen & Krouwel)
2022: How Economic Inequality Influences Conspiracy Theory Beliefs and Behaviors Related to Socioeconomic Mobility. China Scholarship Counsil grant (awarded to Qi Zhao; supervisors van Prooijen & Spadaro)
2020: Radicale uitingen van publieke onvrede. NSCR funding for a Junior Researcher (van Prooijen, Blokland, & Thijs; € 52.747,=)
2020: The exploration of existential threat model of conspiracy theory and its correlation with system justification theory. China Scholarship Counsil grant (awarded to Jiayan Mao; supervisor van Prooijen)
2020: Cognitive biases in conspiracy theories: The effect of existential threat and sense-making. China Scholarship Counsil grant (awarded to Shen Cao; supervisors van Prooijen & van Vugt)
2019: The Relationships between Conspiracy theories, extremism, and crime. China Scholarship Counsil grant (awarded to Haiyan Wang; supervisor van Prooijen)
2018: Punitive and Restorative Justice in Post-conflict: The Influence of Institutional Legitimacy in Observer’s Retributive Judgments and Forgiveness. Colombian Science Foundation grant (awarded to Cristhian Martinez; supervisors van Prooijen & van Lange)
2018: International norm violations, punishment and war. IOVIS Centre for Peace and Conflict (Wagner, Hola, van Prooijen, & Werner; € 15.000,=)
2017: Radicalisering en problematische jeugdgroepen: Het groepsaspect van de “Crime-Terror Nexus”. Nationaal Coordinator Terrorismebestrijding en Veiligheid; Ministerie van Veiligheid en Justitie (Ljujic, Weerman, Van Prooijen, & Neve; € 49.405)
2016: The Relationship between Conspiracy and Supernatural Beliefs: An Integrated Account of Cognition and Motivation. China Scholarship Counsil grant (awarded to Mengchen Dong; supervisors van Prooijen & van Lange)
2016: Virtual reality als middel om inbrekers te doorgronden. Politie en Wetenschap (van Prooijen, van Gelder, van Sintemaartensdijk, & van Lange; € 60.000)
2016: Innovative analysis of economic drivers: How real and perceived socio-economic inequalities affect involvement in terrorism. Work Package 2.4 of approved Horizon 2020 application “PROTON” (Weerman, van Prooijen, Eichelsheim, & Bijleveld; approx. € 100.000)
2016: The virtual burglary project: Using virtual burglary to understand and prevent residential burglary. Research funding from the Dutch Ministry of Justice (van Gelder, van Prooijen, & Nee; € 100.000,=)
2013: Invloed van andere omstanders op de kwaliteit van ooggetuigen verklaringen" ("Influence of other bystanders on the quality of eyewitness testimonies" ). Phoolan Devi Grant to support a 1-year post-doc for Marco van Bommel (Van Prooijen, Van Bommel, Elffers, & Van Lange; approx. € 32.000).
2013: Self-control and the slippery slope of corruption. NWO Research Talent Grant to support the PhD project of Nils Kobis (Van Prooijen & Van Lange; € 168.735,=)
2012: De randvoorwaarden van procedurele rechtvaardigheid: Valkuilen voor het functioneren van “prettig contact met de overheid” Research proposal funded by the Ministry of the Interior (Van Prooijen & Dechesne; € 24.900,=)
2012: Dual outcome-motivation to uphold democratic values. Research grant from the Swiss National Fund for a 12 Month Post-Doc (Pereira & van Prooijen)
2010: Political paranoia in times of economic uncertainty. NWO Conflict & Security Fast Track Grant for a 2-year Post Doc (Van Prooijen, Jostmann, Vuolevi , & Van Lange; € 165.000,=)
2009: Ingrijpen of niet. Een kwestie van “mixed feelings”? Phoolan Devi funding for a 4-year PhD student (Van Lange, Elffers, Van Prooijen, & Reynald; approx. € 200.000,=)
2003: Social cognition in the relation between group characteristics and procedural justice (VU Amsterdam, dept Social Psychology: Internal funding for a PhD student (Van Prooijen; approx. € 170.000,=)
1998-2004: Various small grants (NWO SIR-scholarship; Travel grant NWO for a short study visit to the US; EAESP Seedcorn Research Grant; VU Amsterdam Travel Fund; SPSSI Travel Award)
Editorial activities:
Chief or Associate Editorships:
2020- present: Book series editor, Current Issues in Social Psychology (Routledge)
2021-2023: Guest Editor, Current Opinion in Psychology
2015-2020: Associate editor; PSPB
2018-2019: Editor-in-Chief for the Psychology section of the Handbook of Conspiracy Theories (Routledge; Handbook editors P. Knight & M. Butter)
2017-2018: Guest Editor special issue EJSP: “Conspiracy theories as a social-psychological phenomenon”
2014-2017: Associate editor; SJR
2010-2012: Associate Editor; EJSP
2009-2010: Editor-in-chief; Jaarboek Sociale Psychologie deel 9
Consulting Editorships or Editorial Board Member:
2019-2022: Editorial board member; JPSP-ASC
2012-2019: Editorial board member; Psychological Science
2007-2016: Consulting Editor; Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice
2011-2014: Editorial board member; SJR
2010-2014: Consulting Editor; JPSP-IRGP
Administration and committees:
Departmental service activities (VU Amsterdam):
2009-2014; 2017-2018: General Teaching Coordinator Social Psychology
2009-2015-: Coordinator of the Research Master in Social Psychology
2009-2014: Member of the department’s Management Team
2007-2010; 2014-2015; 20178-2018: Coordinator Applied Master’s program
2014-2016: Coordinator equipment fund applications
2007-2008: Coordinator of master’s theses and internships
2002-2009: Public relations coordinator
2006-2007: Colloquium organizer
2005-2006: Member of the work distribution committee
2005-2006: Member of the administrative advisory committee (“Dagelijks bestuur”)
2004-2006: Brown Bag Lunch Coordinator
2004-present: Member of various hiring committees
2002-2004: Introductory lectures at information days psychology
Faculty-level service activities (VU Amsterdam):
2021-present: Program director of the Bachelor Psychology
2016-2021: Program director of the Research Master in Social Psychology
2009-2015: Member of William James Graduate School’s Exam Committee
2009-2011 and 2013: Member of William James Graduate School’s Teaching Committee
2009-2011: Member of the Faculty’s ethical and scientific review board (VCWE)
2010: Member of a Faculty’s work group to develop evaluation forms for all departments.
Member of PhD dissertation committees:
Dr. Susanne Peters (2005; Utrecht University); Dr. Maureen Tumewu (2007; Utrecht University); Dr. Chris Reinders-Folmer (2008; VU Amsterdam; reading committee only); Dr. Bart Terwel (2009; Leiden University); Dr. Anthon Klapwijk (2009; VU Amsterdam); Dr. Ron Broeders (2010; Utrecht University); Dr. Philip Miles (2010; Utrecht University); Dr. Petra Hopman (2010; VU University Amsterdam); Dr. Joel Vuolevi (2011; VU University Amsterdam); Dr. Francesca Righetti (2011; VU University Amsterdam); Dr. Michael James Wood (2013; University of Kent, Canterbury, UK; External examiner); Dr. Seval Gundemir (VU University Amsterdam; reading committee only); Dr. Maarten de Backer (2015; University of Leuven, Belgium); Dr. Willem Sleegers (2017; University of Tilburg); Dr. Mariko Visserman (2018; VU Amsterdam); Dr. Ali Mashuri (2019; VU Amsterdam); Dr. Joost van der Stoep (2019; VU Amsterdam); Dr. Josiah Krieg (2019; University of Adelaide, Australia; External examiner), Dr. Katherina Alvarez (2021; VU Amsterdam); Dr. Darel Cookson (2021, Staffordshire University, UK; external examiner), Muhammad Untung Manara (2023, Maastricht University), How Hwee Ong (2023, Tilburg University).
External committees
2022-present: Member of Politie & Wetenschap research advisory committee on conspiracy theorists in Bodegraven.
2022-present: Member of WODC research advisory committee on Online right-wing extremism
2013-2021: Member of the KLI teaching committee (Chair 2018-2021)
2015-2021: Member of the ASPO-board
2019: Member of AeQui visitation committee for the PPLE bachelor programme, UvA
2018-2019: Chair of supervision committee NCTV project “radicalisering onder jeugdgroepen”.
2015-2019: Executive board member ISJR (President from 2016 to 2018)
2017--Member of WODC Research advisory committee “Supervision styles to decrease incidents among immigrants in asylum centers”
2012-present--Member of the management team of A-lab (fka Phoolan Devi)
2014--NWO MaGW Research talent grant committee
2013-2015--Member of Research Advisory committee Onderzoek Nieuwe Zaaksbehandeling (Ministry of the interior)
2012--Member of the 2012 ISJR Early Career Award committee
2012--KLI conference: Best-Paper Award Committee
2010--Independent auditor to check and approve of ISJR financial accounts over a two-year period
2009--Chair of ASPO Jaarboek Best Paper Award Committee
2008-2010--Member of Ministry of Justice-WODC research advisory committee, De Awb en burgers; ervaringen met bezwaarschriftprocedures in de praktijk.
2008-2009--Member of Ministry of Justice-WODC research advisory committee, Evaluatieonderzoek stichting geschillencommissie consumentenzaken.
2008--Member of the 2008 ISJR Early Career Award Committee.
2006--Program committee member of the 2006 ISJR Conference, Berlin
Organization and other:
2019: Book signing session for “The psychology of conspiracy theories”; at APS conference, Washington DC (25 May 2019).
2019: Invited symposium “The psychology of conspiracy theories” organized at APS conference, Washington DC (25 May 2019).
2019: Organization of COST action Editorial Meeting “Handbook of Conspiracy Theories, 28 and 29 March, VU Amsterdam.
2018: Organization of Symposium “Legal Psychology” at ASPO conference, 13 December 2018 (together with Lotte van Dillen).
2017--Organization of ASPO conference, 14 and 15 December 2017 (Chair).
2017--Organization of Panel entitled Conspiracy theories and radical politics, 29 July 2017 (COST conspiracy conference, Tübingen, Germany)
2017--Coordinator of KLI course “Neuroscientific methods in social psychology” (taught by Dr. Dirk Heslenfeld and Dr. Leander van der Meij)
2016--Symposium entitled Conspiracy theories in social representations of history; organized for COST Action conference “Agents through Time”, 8 July 2016 Limerick, Ireland. (Van Prooijen & Douglas).
2015--Organization of the departmental mini-conference (together with Dr. Janneke Oostrom); dept S&O psychology, VU Amsterdam.
2015--Coordinator of KLI course “Neuroscientific methods in social psychology” (taught by Dr. Dirk Heslenfeld and Dr. Leander van der Meij)
2014--Organization of Symposium for the 10th year Anniversary of the Research Master’s Program, VU Amsterdam (Chair; 7 July 2014)
2014--Symposium entitled Making sense of the world through justice judgments, organized for ISJR conference, New York, June 2014 (Stroebe & van Prooijen).
2012--Symposium entitled A process-oriented view on sense-making of victimization, organized for ISJR conference, Israel; September 2012 (Bal & van Prooijen)
2012--Organization of conference “Power, Politics, and Paranoia”, 13 and 14 July 2012, Amsterdam (Van Prooijen & Van Lange)
2011--Symposium entitled Social identity and reactions to unfair treatment of others (Cojuharenco, Patient, & Van Prooijen), organized for SIOP conference, Chicago; 16 April 2011.
2009-2010--Coordinator of KLI course “Programming in Authorware” (taught by Daniel Lakens and Chris Reinders-Folmer)
2002--Organization of a workshop funded by the Kurt Lewin Institute (a research school recognized by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research, the NWO) with Prof. Dr. T. Tyler (New York University, US), entitled New directions in social justice research.
2002--Symposium entitled The work of future justice researchers: Exploring the antecedents of justice judgments (Van Prooijen & Miedema), organized for the “IXth international social justice conference”, June 2002, Skovde, Sweden.
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