Staff profile

Welcome

I am a Behavioural Scientist working across industry and academia. As Director of Behavioural Insights for Magpie (creative behaviour change agency) I support third-sector and public-sector organisations to translate research in to evidence-based campaigns, initiatives, and policies. My expertise lies in leveraging behavioural science methods, approaches, and and insights to help address pressing societal issues, including health and wellbeing, climate change, and equality and diversity. I specialise in collaborative, applied, and implementation-focused research that drives meaningful impact.

Short biography

• 2024-present:   Director of Behavioural Insights, Magpie
• 2022-present:   Honorary Fellow, Durham University
• 2022-2024:       Behavioural Insights Consultant, Magpie
• 2018-2022:       Assistant Professor in Psychology, Durham University 
• 2016-2018:       Lecturer in Psychology, University of Lincoln
• 2012-2016:       Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology, University Kent

• Behaviour change
• Knowledge translation
• Implementation science
• Partnership-based research & cross-sector research
• Mixed methods
• Public health
• Social inclusivity
• Environmental behaviour
• Prosocial behaviour
• Social identity and intergroup and intragroup dynamics

• 2020: Early Career Award, Social Psychology Section, British Psychological Society:

Chapter in book

• Promoting third-party prosocial behaviour: The potential of moral emotions
  
  Van de Vyver, J., & Abrams, D. (2017). Promoting third-party prosocial behaviour: The potential of moral emotions. In E. Van Leeuwen & H. Zagefka (Eds.), Intergroup helping. Springer Verlag.
• Toward a contextualized social developmental account of children?s group dynamics: The developmental model of subjective group dynamics
  
  Abrams, D., Powell, C., Palmer, S., & Van de Vyver, J. (2017). Toward a contextualized social developmental account of children?s group dynamics: The developmental model of subjective group dynamics. In A. Rutland, D. Nesdale, & C. Spears Brown (Eds.), The Wiley Handbook of Group Processes in Children and Adolescents (pp. 124-143). John Wiley & Sons Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118773123.ch6
• The group and cultural context of restorative justice: A social psychological perspective
  
  Van de Vyver, J., Travaglino, G., Vasiljevic, M., & Abrams, D. (2015). The group and cultural context of restorative justice: A social psychological perspective. In T. Gavrielides (Ed.), The psychology of restorative justice. Ashgate Publishing.

Journal Article

• Investigating the effects of social information on spite in an online game
  
  Watson, R., Morgan, T., Kendal, R., Van de Vyver, J., & Kendal, J. (2024). Investigating the effects of social information on spite in an online game. Evolutionary Human Sciences, 6, Article e26. https://doi.org/10.1017/ehs.2024.18
• Cooperation and group similarity in children and young adults in the UK.
  
  Majolo, B., Maréchal, L., Igali, F., & Van de Vyver, J. (2023). Cooperation and group similarity in children and young adults in the UK. Evolutionary Human Sciences, 5, Article e29. https://doi.org/10.1017/ehs.2023.25
• Building bonds: A pre-registered secondary data analysis examining linear and curvilinear relations between socio-economic status and communal attitudes
  
  Weick, M., Couturier, L.-C., Vasiljevic, M., Ross, P., Cory, C., Crisp, R., Leite, A., Marcinko, A., Nguyen, T., & Van de Vyver, J. (2022). Building bonds: A pre-registered secondary data analysis examining linear and curvilinear relations between socio-economic status and communal attitudes. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 102, Article 104353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2022.104353
• Gossip about in-group and out-group norm deviations
  
  Imada, H., Rullo, M., Hopthrow, T., Van de Vyver, J., & Zagefka, H. (2022). Gossip about in-group and out-group norm deviations. Comprehensive Results in Social Psychology, 6(1-3), 113-133. https://doi.org/10.1080/23743603.2022.2090327
• Social learning strategies and cooperative behaviour: Evidence of payoff bias, but not prestige or conformity, in a social dilemma game
  
  Watson, R., Morgan, T. J., Kendal, R. L., Van de Vyver, J., & Kendal, J. (2021). Social learning strategies and cooperative behaviour: Evidence of payoff bias, but not prestige or conformity, in a social dilemma game. Games, 12(4), Article 89. https://doi.org/10.3390/g12040089
• Navigating the social identity of long covid
  
  Van de Vyver, J., Leite, A. C., & Alwan, N. A. (2021). Navigating the social identity of long covid. British Medical Journal, 375, Article n2933. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n2933
• The Humble Leader: Understanding Perceptions and Implications of Humility in Leadership
  
  Park, R., Van de Vyver, J., & Bretherton, R. (2020). The Humble Leader: Understanding Perceptions and Implications of Humility in Leadership. European Journal of Applied Positive Psychology, 4, Article 14.
• Intentions, efficacy, and norms: The impact of different self-regulatory cues on reducing engine idling at long wait stops
  
  Mahmood, L., Abrams, D., Meleady, R., Hopthrow, T., Lalot, F., Swift, H., & Van de Vyver, J. (2019). Intentions, efficacy, and norms: The impact of different self-regulatory cues on reducing engine idling at long wait stops. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 66, Article 101368. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2019.101368
• Participatory arts interventions promote interpersonal and intergroup prosocial intentions in middle childhood
  
  Van de Vyver, J., Abrams, D., Spinner, L., Pelletier, J., Ali, S., & Kapantai, I. (2019). Participatory arts interventions promote interpersonal and intergroup prosocial intentions in middle childhood. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 65, Article 101069. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2019.101069
• “We aren’t idlers”: Using subjective group dynamics to promote prosocial driver behavior at long‐wait stops
  
  Player, A., Abrams, D., Van de Vyver, J., Meleady, R., Leite, A., Randsley de Moura, G., & Hopthrow, T. (2018). “We aren’t idlers”: Using subjective group dynamics to promote prosocial driver behavior at long‐wait stops. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 48(11), 643-648. https://doi.org/10.1111/jasp.12554
• The arts as a catalyst for human prosociality and cooperation
  
  Van de Vyver, J., & Abrams, D. (2018). The arts as a catalyst for human prosociality and cooperation. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 9(6), 664-674. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550617720275
• Motivating the selfish to stop idling: Self-interest cues can improve environmentally relevant driver behaviour
  
  Van de Vyver, J., Abrams, D., Hopthrow, T., Purewal, K., Randsley de Moura, G., & Meleady, R. (2018). Motivating the selfish to stop idling: Self-interest cues can improve environmentally relevant driver behaviour. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 54, 79-85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2018.01.015
• Brexit or bremain? A person and social analysis of voting decisions in the EU referendum
  
  Van de Vyver, J., Leite, A., Abrams, D., & Palmer, S. (2018). Brexit or bremain? A person and social analysis of voting decisions in the EU referendum. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, 28(2), 65-79. https://doi.org/10.1002/casp.2341
• Surveillance or self-surveillance? Behavioral cues can increase the rate of drivers' pro-environmental behavior at a long wait stop
  
  Meleady, R., Abrams, D., Van de Vyver, J., Hopthrow, T., Mahmood, L., Player, A., Lamont, R., & Leite, A. (2017). Surveillance or self-surveillance? Behavioral cues can increase the rate of drivers’ pro-environmental behavior at a long wait stop. Environment and Behavior, 49(10), 1156-1172. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916517691324
• Does terror defeat contact? Intergroup contact and prejudice toward Muslims before and after the London bombings
  
  Abrams, D., Van de Vyver, J., Houston, D., & Vasiljevic, M. (2017). Does terror defeat contact? Intergroup contact and prejudice toward Muslims before and after the London bombings. Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, 23(3), 260-268. https://doi.org/10.1037/pac0000167
• A field experiment: Testing the potential of norms for achieving behavior change in English parishes
  
  Van de Vyver, J., & John, P. (2017). A field experiment: Testing the potential of norms for achieving behavior change in English parishes. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 47(6), 347-352. https://doi.org/10.1111/jasp.12443
• Adolescents' judgments of doubly deviant peers: Implications of intergroup and intragroup dynamics for disloyal and overweight group members
  
  Abrams, D., Palmer, S., Van de Vyver, J., Hayes, D., Delaney, K., Guarella, S., & Purewal, K. (2017). Adolescents’ judgments of doubly deviant peers: Implications of intergroup and intragroup dynamics for disloyal and overweight group members. Social Development, 26(2), 310-328. https://doi.org/10.1111/sode.12187
• Is moral elevation an approach-oriented emotion?
  
  Van de Vyver, J., & Abrams, D. (2016). Is moral elevation an approach-oriented emotion?. Journal of Positive Psychology, 12(2), 178-185. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2016.1163410
• Boosting belligerence: How the July 7, 2005, London bombings affected Liberals' moral foundations and prejudice
  
  Van de Vyver, J., Houston, D., Abrams, D., & Vasiljevic, M. (2016). Boosting belligerence: How the July 7, 2005, London bombings affected Liberals’ moral foundations and prejudice. Psychological Science, 27(2), 169-177. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797615615584
• Children's prosocial behavioural intentions towards outgroup members
  
  Abrams, D., Van de Vyver, J., Pelletier, J., & Cameron, L. (2015). Children’s prosocial behavioural intentions towards outgroup members. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 33(3), 277-294. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjdp.12085
• Testing the prosocial effectiveness of the prototypical moral emotions: Elevation increases benevolent behaviors and outrage increases justice behaviors
  
  Van de Vyver, J., & Abrams, D. (2015). Testing the prosocial effectiveness of the prototypical moral emotions: Elevation increases benevolent behaviors and outrage increases justice behaviors. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 58, 23-33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2014.12.005
• Equality hypocrisy, inconsistency, and prejudice: The unequal application of the universal human right to equality
  
  Abrams, D., Houston, D., Van de Vyver, J., & Vasiljevic, M. (2015). Equality hypocrisy, inconsistency, and prejudice: The unequal application of the universal human right to equality. Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, 21(1), 28-46. https://doi.org/10.1037/pac0000084
• Evaluations of and reasoning about normative and deviant ingroup and outgroup members: development of the black sheep effect
  
  Abrams, D., Palmer, S., Rutland, A., Cameron, L., & Van de Vyver, J. (2014). Evaluations of and reasoning about normative and deviant ingroup and outgroup members: development of the black sheep effect. Developmental Psychology, 50(1), 258-270. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032461

Other (Print)

• Crossing Divides: The friends who are good for your brain
  
  Van de Vyver, J., & Crisp, R. (2019). Crossing Divides: The friends who are good for your brain. BBC.

Report

• Story-telling and Prejudice: A practical indirect intervention for reducing prejudice against Asylum Seekers and Refugees among adults in the UK
  
  Van de Vyver, J., & Leite, A. (2019). Story-telling and Prejudice: A practical indirect intervention for reducing prejudice against Asylum Seekers and Refugees among adults in the UK.
• Community connectedness through the arts
  
  Van de Vyver, J., & Abrams, D. (2017). Community connectedness through the arts.
• Arts and kindness
  
  Broadwood, J., Bunting, C., Andrews, T., Abrams, D., & Van de Vyver, J. (2012). Arts and kindness.