Jan-Willem van Prooijen

Jan-Willem van Prooijen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Psychology at the Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam). He is affiliated with the IBBA and A-LAB research groups and actively contributes to interdisciplinary research on conspiracy theories, moral judgment, and political ideology. His work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals related to peace, justice, and strong institutions.

His research focuses on the psychological underpinnings of conspiracy theories, extremism, moral reasoning, and public trust. Key areas include:

• Conspiracy mentality and its social consequences
• Moral judgment of corruption and unethical behavior
• Political ideology and extremism
• Emotions in social cognition
• AI-related distrust and technology perception

His recent publications reveal a strong trend in interdisciplinary, preregistered studies using mixed methods to examine societal challenges such as misinformation, organizational deviance, and crisis communication. His work often involves cross-cultural comparisons and large-scale replications, emphasizing scientific rigor.

Scientific awards include:

• Early Career Achievement Award, International Society for Justice Research (2006)
• Excellence in Teaching Award, Department of Social and Organizational Psychology (2014)
• Excellence in Teaching Award, Section of Social and Organizational Psychology (2018)

He has supervised nine PhD theses and teaches courses such as Emotion and Social Cognition and Moral and Political Psychology. He has secured research grants, including a project on conspiracy theories and construal level theory (2022–2023). Van Prooijen is also a public speaker and author of the popular science book The Fame Game. He is active in media as an expert commentator on extremism, conspiracy theories, and social psychology. He holds ancillary roles at NSCR, Leqture.nl, and Maastricht University.