Kristof Dhont

Dr. Kristof Dhont is a Reader in Psychology and Director of Graduate Studies (Research) at the University of Kent's School of Psychology. He leads SHARKLab, studying human-animal and intergroup relations. His research focuses on social-ideological drivers of prejudice, speciesism, and the paradoxes in human-animal interactions. He has held editorial roles at journals like Psychology of Human-Animal Intergroup Relations and Group Processes & Intergroup Relations.

Dr. Dhont earned his PhD in Psychology from Ghent University and held a postdoctoral fellowship at the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO-Vlaanderen). His work bridges psychological theory with advocacy, addressing topics like meat consumption ethics, gender stereotypes linked to dietary choices, and the moral psychology of animal exploitation.

Research interests include social dominance orientation, human supremacism, and the intersection of sexism and speciesism. Key areas of inquiry explore why people both care for and exploit animals, strategies to reduce intergroup prejudices, and the implications of human-animal relations for societal cohesion.

Publications highlight themes such as meat-eating commitment's link to pandemic risks, the role of language in conveying moral commitments to animals, and the psychological barriers to clean meat acceptance. His work often integrates environmental, health, and ethical motives in dietary choices.

Grants and awards include a £192,118 Leverhulme Trust grant (2018–2021) and multiple collaborative grants with Ghent University. His editorial work emphasizes advancing interdisciplinary scholarship on human-animal relations.

Supervision of doctoral students has produced research on topics like emotional intelligence and prejudice, anti-veganism, and Euroscepticism. Dr. Dhont's lab fosters collaborative projects with international partners, reflecting his commitment to global academic networks.