Rate My Professor Thijs Bouman

Thijs Bouman serves as Associate Professor (with ius promovendi) in the Environmental Psychology group within the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Groningen. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Social Psychology in 2008 and his Research Master in Human Behaviour in Social Contexts cum laude in 2010, both from the University of Groningen. In 2016, he completed his PhD at the same university with the dissertation "Threat by Association: How Distant Events Can Affect Local Intergroup Relations," supervised by Prof. Sabine Otten and Dr. Elze Ufkes. Bouman began his academic career as a Lecturer at Christelijke Hogeschool Windesheim from July 2014 to June 2015. Since July 2015, he has worked as a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer in Social and Environmental Psychology at the University of Groningen, progressing to his current position. He coordinates the third-year Bachelor course in Economic and Consumer Psychology, master's theses, and internships, while also providing guest lectures and workshops on environmental psychology, social psychology, and energy topics to students and professionals.

Bouman's research investigates personal and group factors shaping responses to global crises, especially climate change. Key areas include personal and perceived group values, value misperceptions, and human-technology interactions in energy domains, aiming to align innovations with user motivations and enhance participation in energy systems. Notable publications encompass "Turning Mass Support for Environmental Goals into Action" (PNAS, 2025), "Local Fossil Fuel Ad Ban as a Catalyst for Global Change" (Nature Climate Change, 2025), "Sustainable Energy Technology Adoption for a Low-Carbon Future: A Global Meta-Analysis of Psychological Determinants" (Energy Research & Social Science, 2025), "A Spiral of (In)Action: Empowering People to Translate Their Values in Climate Action" (One Earth, 2022), and "Measuring Values in Environmental Research: A Test of an Integrated Value Instrument" (Frontiers in Psychology, 2018). In October 2025, he secured an NWO Vidi grant of up to €850,000 for "A Climate of Cynicism: Causes, Consequences and Remedies Relating to Widespread Cynicism about People’s Value-Basis for Climate Action." He supervises postdoctoral researchers and PhD students on projects funded by NWO, H2020, CSC, and industry partners like VLAIO/Blauwe Cluster, having mentored graduates such as Wang Xiao (2023), Nieke Lemmen (2023), and Lu Liu (2022). Collaborations span municipalities, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, energy firms Enexis and Alliander, and NGOs including WWF. His contributions influence sustainable policy and feature in media discussions on climate action and fossil fuel advertising bans. Honors include the SPSP Graduate Student Poster Award (2013).