Bolderdijk, Dr Jan Willem
Jan Willem Bolderdijk is an associate professor at the Faculty of Economics and Business. He received his doctorate in 2011 for his dissertation on psychology, entitled 'Buying People: The Persuasive Power of Money'.
The fields of psychology and marketing are recurring topics in Bolderdijk's research. Bolderdijk focuses on the social issues of tomorrow, especially in relation to sustainability and influencing consumers to make sustainable choices. His research aims at uncovering psychological barriers that prevent changes in consumer behaviour. Indeed, consumer behaviour has great influence when it comes to social problems such as climate change, overconsumption and the depletion of natural resources.
Furthermore, Bolderdijk is also a member of the Young Academy Groningen, a group of talented, enthusiastic, and ambitious young UG academics from different disciplines. The YAG aims to raise awareness of the UG's young talent. Together with his colleagues from the YAG, he wrote a book in which the authors gave young research talent the opportunity to participate by inviting them to submit their own research proposals and contribute to the book.
Previously in the news (mostly in Dutch)
Contact and more information
Publications
2025
Zella,
G., Bolderdijk, J. W., Caselli,
T., & Peels-Matthey, S. (2025). The
Role of Neologisms in the Climate Change Debate: Can New Words Help
to Speed Up Social Change? Wiley Interdisciplinary
Reviews: Climate Change, 16(2), Article
e70004. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.70004
2024
Prosser,
A. M. B., O'Neill, S., Whitmarsh, L., Bolderdijk, J.
W., Kurz, T., & Blackwood, L. (2025). Overcoming
(vegan) burnout: Mass gatherings can provide respite and rekindle
shared identity and social action efforts in moralized minority
groups. Political Psychology,
46(2), 257-278. https://doi.org/10.1111/pops.13009
Judge,
M., Bouman, T., Steg, L.,
& Bolderdijk, J. W. (2024). Accelerating social
tipping points in sustainable behaviors: Insights from a dynamic
model of moralized social change. One
Earth, 7(5), 759-770. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2024.04.004
Koster,
J., Leliveld, M., Risselada,
H., & Bolderdijk, J. W. (2024). A
System Approach to Sustainable Fashion: What Do We Know and Where
Do We Go? (FEBRI Research Reports; No. 2024009-MARK).
University of Groningen, FEB Research Institute.
Hoffmann,
T., Ye, M., Zino, L., Cao,
M., Rauws, W., & Bolderdijk, J.
W. (2024). Overcoming inaction: An agent-based
modelling study of social interventions that promote systematic
pro-environmental change. Journal of Environmental
Psychology, 94, Article 102221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102221
Mlakar,
Z., Bolderdijk, J. W., Risselada,
H., Fennis, B. M., Ye, M., Zino,
L., & Cao, M. (2024). Social tipping
games: Experimental paradigms for studying consumer
movements. Journal of the Association of Consumer
Research, 9(4), 427-440. https://doi.org/10.1086/731916
2023
Prosser,
A. M. B., Heung, L. N. M., Blackwood, L., O’Neill, S.,
Bolderdijk, J. W., & Kurz, T. (2024). ‘Talk
amongst yourselves’: designing and evaluating a novel
remotely-moderated focus group methodology for exploring group
talk. Qualitative Research in
Psychology, 21(1), 1-43. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2023.2257614
Tirion,
A. S. C., Mulder, L. B., Kurz, T., Koudenburg,
N., Prosser, A. M. B., Bain, P., & Bolderdijk, J.
W. (2024). The sound of silence: The importance of
bystander support for confronters in the prevention of norm
erosion. British Journal of Social
Psychology, 63(2), 909-935. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12709
Bouman,
T., Bolderdijk, J. W., Renes, R. J., van der
Wal, A., Paradies, G., Roeser, S., Van der Grift, L., van Uffelen,
N., de Vries, G., Onwezen, M. C., Wals, A. E. J., & Aarts, M.
N. C. (2023). Een verbod op fossiele reclame: essentieel,
maar niet voldoende. Rijksoverheid.
Bouman,
T., Bolderdijk, J. W., Renes, R. J., van der
Wal, A. J., Paradies, G., Roeser, S., van de Grift, L., van
Uffelen, N., de Vries, G., Onwezen, M., Wals, A. E. J., &
Aarts, N. (2023). Een verbod op fossile reclame:
essentieel, maar niet voldoende.
2022
Hoffmann,
T., Rauws, W., Sparkman, G., &
Bolderdijk, J. W. (2023). Norm Nudges in
Neighbourhoods: When Do They Work and Why? In B.
Gatersleben, & N. Murtagh (Eds.), Handbook on
Pro-Environmental Behaviour Change (pp. 96-113). Edward Elgar
Publishing.
Flores,
E. C., Kelman, I., Joye, Y., Bolderdijk, J. W.,
Ayeb-Karlsson, S., Wutich, A., Ayalon, L., & Hickman, C.
(2022). A healthy planet for a healthy mind.
One Earth, 5(4), 307-310. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2022.03.021
Koch,
J. A., Bolderdijk, J. W., & van
Ittersum, K. (2022). Can graphic warning labels reduce
the consumption of meat? Appetite,
168, Article 105690. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2021.105690
Brouwer,
C., Bolderdijk, J. W., Cornelissen, G., & Kurz, T.
(2022). Communication strategies for moral rebels: How to
talk about change in order to inspire self-efficacy in
others. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate
Change, 13(5), Article e781. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.781
Bouwman,
E., Bolderdijk, J. W., Onwezen, M., & Taufik, D.
(2022). “Do you consider animal welfare to be
important?” Activating cognitive dissonance via value
activation can promote vegetarian choices. Journal
of Environmental Psychology, 83, Article
101871. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101871
Bolderdijk,
J. W., & Cornelissen, G. (2022). “How do you
know someone's vegan?” They won't always tell you. An
empirical test of the do-gooder's dilemma.
Appetite, 168, Article 105719. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2021.105719
Zino,
L., Ye, M., Mlakar, Z., Bolderdijk, J.
W., Risselada, H., Fennis, B.
M., & Cao, M. (2022).
Incentivizing social diffusion on networks using a novel
game-theoretic model. Abstract from Netsci-X 2022,
Porto, Portugal.
Hoffmann,
T., Bolderdijk, J. W., Rauws,
W., Zino, L., & Ye, M. (2022).
Misguided expectations hamper pro-environmental behavior
change: A neighbourhood study.. Poster session
presented at SPSP Sustainability Psychology Pre-Conference, San
Francisco, United States.
2021
Bolderdijk,
J. W., Peels-Matthey, S., Popkema, A.,
& Olivier, J. (2021). Achterhaalde waarheid?
Zin en onzin van spreekwoorden. In Boekvorm
Uitgevers.
Bolderdijk,
J. W., Bouman, T., & van der Bles, A.
M. (2021). Al is de leugen nog zo snel, de waarheid
achterhaalt haar wel. In J. W. Bolderdijk, S. Peels-Matthey,
& A. Popkema (Eds.), Achterhaalde waarheid? : Zin en onzin
van spreekwoorden (pp. 126-131). In Boekvorm Uitgevers.
Ye,
M., Zino, L., Mlakar,
Ž., Bolderdijk, J. W., Risselada,
H., Fennis, B. M., & Cao, M.
(2021). Collective patterns of social diffusion are shaped by
individual inertia and trend-seeking. Nature
Communications, 12(1), Article 5698. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25953-1
Venhoeven,
L. A., Bolderdijk, J. W., & Steg, L.
(2021). Corrigendum to “Why going green feels
good.” [Journal of Environmental Psychology (2020), Volume
71, 101492]. Journal of Environmental
Psychology, 75, Article 101616. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2021.101616
Koch,
J., Bolderdijk, J. W., & van
Ittersum, K. (2021). Disgusting? No, just deviating
from internalized norms. Understanding consumer skepticism toward
sustainable food alternatives. Journal of
Environmental Psychology, 76, Article 101645.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2021.101645
Taufik,
D., Bouman, T., & Bolderdijk, J. W.
(2021). Het gras bij de buren is altijd groener. In J.
W. Bolderdijk, S. Peels-Matthey, & A. Popkema (Eds.),
Achterhaalde waarheid?: Zin en onzin van spreekwoorden
(pp. 66-71). In Boekvorm Uitgevers.
Bolderdijk,
J. W., & Jans, L. (2021). Minority
influence in climate change mitigation. Current
Opinion in Psychology, 42, 25-30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.02.005
Koch,
J. A., Bolderdijk, J. W., & van
Ittersum, K. (2021). No Way, That’s Gross! How
Public Exposure Therapy Can Overcome Disgust Preventing Consumer
Adoption of Sustainable Food Alternatives.
Foods, 10(6), Article 1380. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10061380
Mlakar,
Z., Bolderdijk, J. W., Fennis, B.
M., & Risselada, H. (2021).
Repetition Legitimizes: Consistent Behavior as a Signal
of Reliability, Trustworthiness, and Competence. Poster
session presented at The Society for Personality and Social
Psychology’s Annual Convention 2020.
Bolderdijk,
J. W. (2021). Wie goed doet, goed ontmoet. In
J. W. Bolderdijk, S. Peels-Matthey, & A. Popkema (Eds.),
Achterhaalde waarheid?: Zin en onzin van spreekwoorden
(pp. 30-35). In Boekvorm Uitgevers.
2020
Joye,
Y., Bolderdijk, J. W., Koster, M., & Piff, P.
(2020). A diminishment of desire: Exposure to nature relative
to urban environments dampens materialism. Urban
Forestry & Urban Greening, 54, Article
126783. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2020.126783
Prossner,
A. M. B., Judge, M., Bolderdijk, J. W.,
Blackwood, L., & Kurz, T. (2020).
‘Distancers’ and ‘non-distancers’?
The potential social psychological impact of moralizing COVID-19
mitigating practices on sustained behaviour change.
British Journal of Social Psychology,
59(3), 653-662. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12399
Bösehans,
G., Bolderdijk, J. W., & Wan, J. (2020). Pay
more, fly more? Examining the potential guilt-reducing and
flight-encouraging effect of an integrated carbon offset.
Journal of Environmental Psychology,
71, Article 101469. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2020.101469
Mlakar,
Z., Bolderdijk, J. W., Fennis, B.
M., Risselada, H., Ye, B.,
& Zino, L. (2020). Releasing the brake: How
disinhibition frees people and facilitates social
change. Poster session presented at The Society for
Personality and Social Psychology’s Annual Convention 2020,
New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.
Risselada,
H., Bolderdijk, J. W., Mlakar,
Z., Fennis, B. M., Ye, B.,
& Zino, L. (2020). Releasing the brake: How
disinhibition frees people and facilitates innovation
diffusion. In Proceedings of the European Marketing
Academy (Vol. 49). Article 64211 EMAC.
Ye,
M., Zino, L., Mlakar, Z.,
Bolderdijk, J. W., Risselada, H., Fennis,
B. M., & Cao, M. (2020).
Understanding and Modeling Behavioral Mechanisms in
Social Diffusion. Abstract from International School
and Conference on Network Science.
Ye,
B., Zino, L., Mlakar, Z.,
Bolderdijk, J. W., Risselada, H., Fennis,
B. M., & Cao, M. (2020).
Understanding and Modeling Cognitive Mechanisms in Social
Diffusion. Poster session presented at International
School and Conference on Network Science.
Venhoeven,
L. A., Bolderdijk, J. W., & Steg, L.
(2020). Why going green feels good. Journal
of Environmental Psychology, 71, Article
101492. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2020.101492
2018
Bolderdijk,
J. W., Brouwer, C., & Cornelissen, G. (2018). When
Do Morally Motivated Innovators Elicit Inspiration Instead of
Irritation? Frontiers in Psychology,
8(2362), Article 2362. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02362
2017
Lehman,
P. K., Geller, E. S., & Bolderdijk, J. W. (2017).
Applications of social psychology to increase the impact of
behaviour-focused intervention. In L. Steg, B. Buunk, K.
Keizer, & T. Rothengatter (Eds.), Applied Social
Psychology: Understanding and Managing Social Problems (2 ed.,
pp. 52-78). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511801921.003
Venhoeven,
L., Steg, E., & Bolderdijk, J. W.
(2017). Can engagement in environmentally-friendly behavior
increase well-being? In G. Fleury-Bahi, E. Pol, & O.
Navarro (Eds.), Handbook of environmental psychology and
quality of life research (pp. 229-237). (International
Handbooks of Quality-of-Life). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31416-7_13
Handgraaf,
M., Griffioen, A., Bolderdijk, J. W., & Thogersen,
J. (2017). Economic Psychology and Pro‐Environmental
Behaviour. In R. Raynard (Ed.), Economic Psychology
(pp. 435-450). (BPS textbooks in psychology). Wiley-Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118926352.ch27
van
den Broek, K., Bolderdijk, J. W., & Steg,
L. (2017). Individual differences in values determine
the relative persuasiveness of biospheric, economic and combined
appeals. Journal of Environmental
Psychology, 53, 145-156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2017.07.009
Bolderdijk,
J., Steg, L., Woerdman, E.,
Frieswijk, R., & De Groot, J. (2017).
Understanding Effectiveness Skepticism.
Journal of Public Policy & Marketing,
36(2), 348-361. https://doi.org/10.1509/jppm.16.118
2016
Bolderdijk,
J. W., van der Werff, E., & Steg,
L. (2016). De psychologische effecten van
prijsprikkels. Tijdschrift
Vervoerswetenschap, 52(1), 3-17.
Taufik,
D., Bolderdijk, J. W., & Steg, L.
(2016). Going green? The relative importance of feelings over
calculation in driving environmental intent in the Netherlands and
the United States. Energy Research & Social
Science, 22, 52-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2016.08.012
Venhoeven,
L. A., Bolderdijk, J. W., & Steg, L.
(2016). Why Acting Environmentally-Friendly Feels Good:
Exploring the Role of Self-Image. Frontiers in
Psychology, 7, Article 1846. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01846
2015
Woerdman,
E., & Bolderdijk, J. (2017).
Emissions trading for households? A behavioral law and
economics perspective. European Journal of Law and
Economics, 44(3), 553–578. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10657-015-9516-x
Joye,
Y., & Bolderdijk, J. (2015). An exploratory
study into the effects of extraordinary nature on emotions, mood,
and prosociality. Frontiers in
Psychology, 5, 1-9. Article 1577. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01577
2014
Taufik,
D., Bolderdijk, J. W., & Steg, L.
(2015). Acting green elicits a literal warm glow.
Nature climate change, 5(1), 37-40.
https://doi.org/10.1038/NCLIMATE2449
Steg,
L., Bolderdijk, J. W., Keizer,
K., & Perlaviciute, G. (2014). An
integrated framework for encouraging pro-environmental behaviour:
The role of values, situational factors and goals.
Journal of Environmental Psychology,
38, 104-115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2014.01.002
Venhoeven,
L., Bolderdijk, J. W., & Steg, L.
(2014). Can engagement in environmentally-friendly
behavior increase well-being?. Poster session presented
at 7th European Conference on Positive Psychology, Amsterdam,
Netherlands.
Geller,
E. S., Cunningham, T., & Bolderdijk, J. W. (2014).
Ecology: Achieving an ecologically sustainable future.
In T. P. Gullotta, & M. Bloom (Eds.), Encyclopedia of
primary prevention and health promotion (Second edition ed.,
pp. 278-293). Springer.
Leijten,
F. R. M., Bolderdijk, J. W., Keizer, K.,
Gorsira, M., van der Werff, E., & Steg,
L. (2014). Factors that influence consumers'
acceptance of future energy systems: the effects of adjustment
type, production level, and price. Energy
Efficiency, 7(6), 973-985. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-014-9271-9
Schouten,
T. M., Bolderdijk, J. W., & Steg, L.
(2014). Framing car fuel efficiency: linearity heuristic for
fuel consumption and fuel-efficiency ratings.
Energy Efficiency, 7(5), 891-901. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-014-9260-z
Dogan,
E., Bolderdijk, J. W., & Steg, L.
(2014). Making Small Numbers Count: Environmental and
Financial Feedback in Promoting Eco-driving Behaviours.
Journal of Consumer Policy, 37(3),
413-422. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10603-014-9259-z
Venhoeven,
L., Bolderdijk, J. W., & Steg, L.
(2014). Pro-environmental behavior: How a meaningful
contribution can help increase well-being. Poster
session presented at Kurt Lewin Institute Conference, Utrecht,
Netherlands.
Venhoeven,
L. A., Bolderdijk, J. W., & Steg, L.
(2014). Pro-environmental behavior as a self-signal: How
seeing yourself as a “good” person may increase
well-being. Abstract from The 28th International
Congress of Applied Psychology, Paris, France. https://b-com.mci-group.com/Abstract/Statistics/AbstractStatisticsViewPage.aspx?AbstractID=182237
Bolderdijk,
J. W., & Steg, L. (2014). Promoting
sustainable consumption: The risks of using financial
incentives. In L. A. Reisch, & J. Thøgersen (Eds.),
Handbook of Research on Sustainable Consumption (pp.
328-342). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781783471270.00033
Taufik,
D., Bolderdijk, J. W., & Steg, L.
(2014). Signaling feedback: How signaling you are
"green", may make you act more like it . Abstract from
The 28th International Congress of Applied Psychology, Paris,
France. https://b-com.mci-group.com/Abstract/Statistics/AbstractStatisticsViewPage.aspx?AbstractID=183246
Noppers,
E. H., Keizer, K., Bolderdijk, J.
W., & Steg, L. (2014). The adoption
of sustainable innovations: Driven by symbolic and environmental
motives. Global Environmental Change,
25, 52-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2014.01.012
Venhoeven,
L., Bolderdijk, J. W., & Steg, L.
(2014). What is feasible does not necessarily bring
satisfaction: Expected life satisfaction in and feasibility of
different sustainable future scenarios. . Poster
session presented at 2014 Heymans Symposium, Groningen,
Netherlands.
2013
Bolderdijk,
J. W., Steg, L., Geller, E. S., Lehman, P.
K., & Postmes, T. (2013). Comparing the
effectiveness of monetary versus moral motives in environmental
campaigning. Nature climate change,
3(4), 413-416. https://doi.org/10.1038/NCLIMATE1767
Venhoeven,
L., Bolderdijk, J. W., & Steg, L.
(2013). Explaining the paradox: How pro-environmental
behaviour can both thwart and foster well-being.
Sustainability, 5(4), 1372-1386. https://doi.org/10.3390/su5041372
Bolderdijk,
J. W., Steg, L., & Postmes, T.
(2013). Fostering support for work floor energy conservation
policies: Accounting for privacy concerns. Journal
of Organizational Behavior, 34(2), 195-210. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.1831
Bolderdijk,
J. W., Gorsira, M., Keizer, K. E., &
Steg, L. (2013). Values Determine the (In)
Effectiveness of Informational Interventions in Promoting
Pro-Environmental Behavior. PLoS ONE,
8(12), Article e83911. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0083911
2012
Bolderdijk,
J. W., Lehman, P. K., & Geller, E. S. (2012).
Promoting Pro-environmental Behavior with Rewards and
Penalties. In L. Steg, A. E. van den Berg, & J. I. M. de
Groot (Eds.), Environmental Psychology: An Introduction
(pp. 233-242). Wiley.
2011
Bolderdijk,
J. W., Knockaert, J., Steg, L., & Verhoef,
E. T. (2011). Effects of Pay-As-You-Drive vehicle insurance
on young drivers' speed choice: Results of a Dutch field
experiment. Accident Analysis and
Prevention, 43(3), 1181-1186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2010.12.032
Hamstra,
M. R. W., Bolderdijk, J. W., & Veldstra, J.
L. (2011). Everyday risk taking as a function of
regulatory focus. Journal of Research in
Personality, 45(1), 134-137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2010.11.017
2010
Bolderdijk,
J. W. (2010). Buying people: the persuasive power
of money. [Thesis fully internal (DIV),
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Faculty of Behavioural and Social
Sciences.]. s.n.
Veldstra,
J., Bolderdijk, J., de Waard,
D., Steg, E., & Brookhuis, K.
(2010). Risk taking in traffic: comparing simulated
driving with on-road GPS measured driving behaviour.
Abstract from conference of the international council on alcohol,
drugs and traffic safety , Oslo, Norway.
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