Sander van der Linden

Sander van der Linden
Name	Sander van der Linden
Birth date	1981
Birth place	Netherlands
Nationality	Dutch
Known for	Research on social influence, misinformation, decision making
Occupation	Social psychologist, academic, author
Alma mater	University of Cambridge; University of Amsterdam
Awards	Varied academic awards

Sander van der Linden is a Dutch social psychologist known for research on social influence, misinformation, decision making, and public communication. He has held academic posts and collaborated with researchers, policymakers, and media organizations across Europe and North America. His work spans experimental psychology, behavioral science, and applied interventions addressing persuasion, conspiracy theories, and fact-checking.

Early life and education

Born in the Netherlands, van der Linden completed undergraduate and graduate studies that included training at the University of Amsterdam and doctoral research at the University of Cambridge. During his education he engaged with scholars associated with London School of Economics, University College London, and research groups linked to the Behavioral Insights Team and Max Planck Society. His doctoral advisors and mentors included faculty connected to institutions such as Harvard University, Yale University, and Princeton University, while he participated in conferences hosted by American Psychological Association, Society for Personality and Social Psychology, and European Association of Social Psychology.

Academic career and positions

Van der Linden has held academic appointments at universities and research centers including posts in the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Netherlands. He has been affiliated with departments and institutes tied to Cambridge University, University of Oxford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and think tanks such as the RAND Corporation and the Pew Research Center. He has collaborated with faculty from Columbia University, New York University, University of Toronto, and policy units within the European Commission and UK Parliament. His organizational ties extend to research networks like Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Research and contributions

Van der Linden's research focuses on misinformation, persuasion, and social influence, engaging with literatures from Social Identity Theory origins through work related to Elaboration Likelihood Model frameworks and debates informed by findings from Daniel Kahneman-influenced behavioral economics. He has published empirical studies and meta-analyses collaborating with researchers connected to Daniel Kahneman, Cass Sunstein, E. Tory Higgins, and scholars at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. His collaborations involve experimental methods used in projects with teams from Yale School of Management, Harvard Kennedy School, UCL Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats, and public health groups such as World Health Organization units and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Topics include vaccine hesitancy intersecting with research by Paul Offit, misinformation interventions akin to work by Deborah Prentice, and inoculation theory research tracing to William McGuire. Methodological contributions draw on statistical approaches popularized at American Statistical Association workshops and replicate initiatives linked to Open Science Framework and Center for Open Science. Applied interventions have been trialed in cooperation with organizations like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and newsrooms including BBC, The Guardian, and The New York Times.

Books and public engagement

He is author and coauthor of books and public-facing pieces that summarize research for audiences including policymakers, journalists, and educators, working alongside figures from TED Conferences, Scientific American, and outlets such as The Economist. His public engagement includes presentations at events hosted by World Economic Forum, panels at United Nations meetings, and briefings for committees of the European Parliament and US Congress. He has contributed chapters and essays alongside authors affiliated with Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, and popular science editors previously associated with Nature and Science.

Awards and honors

Van der Linden's work has been recognized by academic societies and institutions including awards and fellowships from bodies such as the British Academy, the European Research Council, and national research councils comparable to the NWO and National Science Foundation. He has been listed in professional acknowledgments from organizations like the Association for Psychological Science, Society for Judgment and Decision Making, and selected for advisory roles in panels convened by World Health Organization task forces and the Council of Europe.

Personal life

He resides and works between academic hubs in the Netherlands and United Kingdom, maintaining collaborations with colleagues across Europe, North America, and other regions, and participates in outreach through media appearances on networks such as BBC World News, CNN, and public lectures at institutions like Royal Society and Trinity College Dublin.

Category:Dutch psychologists Category:Social psychologists