Benjamin Gardner

Professor Benjamin Gardner is an internationally recognized expert in the psychology of habitual behavior, with a focus on health and environmental behaviors. He holds a Professorship in Psychology at the University of Surrey's School of Psychology, leading the MSc Behaviour Change Programme and co-leading the HabitAT research group. His research bridges theory and application, exploring how habits influence real-world behaviors and how they can be leveraged for behavior change.

Education: BSc Social Psychology (First Class, University of Sussex, 2003), MRes Psychological Methods (Distinction, 2004), DPhil Social Psychology (2008).

Research Interests: Habit formation and disruption, health behavior change (e.g., physical activity, diet), environmental psychology (e.g., recycling, travel mode choice), and the role of automaticity in decision-making. Current projects include interventions targeting aging populations' independence and sustainable behaviors.

Grants & Collaborations: Co-leads the HabitAT group and EHPS Habit SIG. Advisory roles include Social Science & Medicine and Health Psychology Review. Collaborates with interdisciplinary teams on projects like the HomeHealth RCT (frailty intervention) and sleep hygiene habit studies.

Labs/Teams: Habit Application and Theory (HabitAT) group, Health Psychology research group, Institute for Sustainability. Supervises postgraduate research in health psychology and behavior change.