Paul A. M. Van Lange

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Experimental and Applied Psychology, Faculty Member

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Paul Van Lange is Professor of Psychology at the VU University (since 2000) and serves as distinguished research fellow at the University of Oxford. Most of his publications address issue relevant to trust and human cooperation, including generosity, forgiveness, and altruism, as well as retaliation, corruption, and norm violation, along with reputation, beliefs about human nature, and perceived superiority. He adopts an interdisciplinary approach with an emphasis on the psychology, evolution, and economics of trust and cooperation, and uses a variety of methodologies, including cognitive, affective, neurological, and behavioral measures. Over the years, his research is supported by grants from agencies such as N.W.O., Chinese Science Foundation, German Science Foundation, Finnish Science Foundation, Swiss Science Foundation, Templeton Foundation, and the European Community. His most recent award is the Kurt Lewin Medal (2014), a prestigious mid-career award from the European Association of Social Psychology. His publications receive good scientific attention (H-index = 60 in Google Scholar, 2016).

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Papers by Paul A. M. Van Lange

Fandom Questionnaire

PsycTESTS Dataset, 2012

Joint Decisions under Uncertainty: Bird in the Hand

An Atlas of Interpersonal Situations, 2001

Cooperation in Groups of Different Sizes: The Effects of Punishment and Reputation-Based Partner Choice

Frontiers in Psychology, 2020

Reputation and punishment are two distinct mechanisms that facilitate cooperation among strangers... more Reputation and punishment are two distinct mechanisms that facilitate cooperation among strangers. However, empirical research on their effectiveness is mainly limited to relatively small groups and does not address how they enhance cooperation in relatively larger groups. We address this gap in the literature by testing hypotheses from competing perspectives about the extent to which reputation-based partner choice and punishment enhance cooperation in both small and large groups. Prior work recognizes that an increase in group size is accompanied by a change in the incentive structure, which determines whether the temptation (extra benefit for each person from noncooperation over cooperation, regardless of others' choices) or gain (extra benefit for each person from full cooperation over full non-cooperation) remains constant or varies with group size. Thus, we first test how group size affects cooperation when temptation or gain increases with group size (Study 1), and then move on to testing predictions on the effectiveness of reputation and punishment across different group sizes (Study 2). In Study 1 (N = 820), we randomly assigned participants to play an online one-shot public goods game in groups of 4, 20, or 40, while keeping the marginal group return or marginal per capita return fixed across groups, in which case the temptation or gain increased with group size. In Study 2 (N = 1,132), we further compared a public goods situation involving a punishment or reputation mechanism with an anonymous situation across group sizes, while the marginal group return was fixed across groups. Overall, we found that when temptation increased with group size, 20-person groups cooperated significantly less than 4-person groups in one-shot interactions, and that this effect was explained by lower expectation of others' cooperation, less perceived collective efficacy, and greater perceived conflict. However, 40-person and 4-person groups did not vary in one-shot cooperation. Importantly, reputation-based partner choice and punishment invariably promoted one-shot cooperation in groups of different sizes. These findings suggest no simple effect of group size on cooperation and underscore the utility of reputation and punishment in fostering cooperation (at least in one-shot interactions) regardless of the size of groups.

format_quoteIn Study 2, cooperation dropped to 69.21% in 20-person groups versus 77.86% in 4-person groups, underscoring the impact of group size on cooperation rates.format_quote

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Social mindfulness and prosociality vary across the globe

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2021

SignificanceCooperation is key to well-functioning groups and societies. Rather than addressing h... more SignificanceCooperation is key to well-functioning groups and societies. Rather than addressing high-cost cooperation involving giving money or time and effort, we examine social mindfulness—a form of interpersonal benevolence that requires basic perspective-taking and is aimed at leaving choice for others. Do societies differ in social mindfulness, and if so, does it matter? Here, we find not only considerable variation across 31 nations and regions but also an association between social mindfulness and countries’ performance on environmental protection. We conclude that something as small and concrete as interpersonal benevolence can be entwined with current and future issues of global importance.

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Social Dilemmas: The Psychology of Human Cooperation

Preface PART ONE: Introduction to Social Dilemmas Chapter 1: Introduction and Definition Chapter ... more Preface PART ONE: Introduction to Social Dilemmas Chapter 1: Introduction and Definition Chapter 2: History, Methods, and Paradigms PART TWO: Perspectives to Social Dilemmas Chapter 3: Evolutionary Perspectives Chapter 4: Psychological Perspectives Chapter 5: Cultural Perspectives PART THREE: Applications and Future of Social Dilemmas Chapter 6: Organizations and Management Chapter 7: Environment, Politics, Security, and Health Chapter 8: Prospects for the Future

Onderzoek naar sociale dilemma's in de praktijk: De vervoerskeuze

Self-control and the slippery slope of corruption

Development of prosocial, individualistic, and competitive orientations: Theory and preliminary evidence

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1997

The authors adopt an interdependence analysis of social value orientation, proposing that prosoci... more The authors adopt an interdependence analysis of social value orientation, proposing that prosocial, individualistic, and competitive orientations are (a) partially rooted in different patterns of social interaction as experienced during the periods spanning early childhood to young adulthood and (b) further shaped by different patterns of social interaction as experienced during early adulthood, middle adulthood, and old age. Congruent with this analysis, results revealed that relative to individualists and competitors, prosocial individuals exhibited greater levels of secure attachment (Studies 1 and 2) and reported having more siblings, especially sisters (Study 3). Finally, the prevalence of prosocials increased-and the prevalence of individualists and competitors decreased-from early adulthood to middle adulthood and old age (Study 4). Traditional theories and insights assume that the principle of rational self-interest or economic man reflects the prevailing motivation among humankind (Luce & Raiffa, 1957; Von Neuman & Morgenstern, 1947; cf. Roth, 1988). However, more recent theoretical developments have indicated that individuals systematically differ in the manner in which they approach interdependent others. Some people are inclined to give interdependent others the benefit of the doubt and approach them cooperatively, whereas other people are inclined to approach interdependent others in a less cooperative manner. Such individual differences are related to social value orientation, defined as stable preferences for certain patterns of outcomes for oneself and others (McClintock, 1978; Messick & McClintock, 1968). Although a variety of different social value orientations can be distinguished from a theoretical point of view (e.g., Knight & Dubro, 1984), in this article we address a three-category typology of social value orientation, examining differences between prosocial, individualistic, and competitive orientations. Prosocials tend to maximize outcomes for both themselves and others (i.e., cooperation) and to minimize differences between outcomes for

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Self-control and the slippery slope of corruption

Social and moral psychology of COVID-19 across 69 countries

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all domains of human life, including the economic and social f... more The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all domains of human life, including the economic and social fabric of societies. One of the central strategies for managing public health throughout the pandemic has been through persuasive messaging and collective behavior change. To help scholars better understand the social and moral psychology behind public health behavior, we present a dataset comprising of 51,404 individuals from 69 countries. This dataset was collected for the International Collaboration on Social Moral Psychology of COVID-19 project (ICSMP COVID-19). This social science survey invited participants around the world to complete a series of individual differences and public health attitudes about COVID-19 during an early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic (between April and June 2020). The survey included seven broad categories of questions: COVID-19 beliefs and compliance behaviours; identity and social attitudes; ideology; health and well-being; moral beliefs and motivation; pe...

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National identity predicts public health support during a global pandemic

Changing collective behaviour and supporting non-pharmaceutical interventions is an important com... more Changing collective behaviour and supporting non-pharmaceutical interventions is an important component in mitigating virus transmission during a pandemic. In a large international collaboration (Study 1, N = 49,968 across 67 countries), we investigated self-reported factors that associated with people reported adopting public health behaviours (e.g., spatial distancing and stricter hygiene) and endorsed public policy interventions (e.g., closing bars and restaurants) during the early stage of the pandemic (April-May 2020). Respondents who reported identifying more strongly with their nation consistently reported greater engagement in public health behaviours and support for public health policies. Results were similar for representative and non-representative national samples. Study 2 (N = 42 countries) conceptually replicated the central finding using aggregate indices of national identity (obtained using the World Values Survey) and a measure of actual behaviour change during the...

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Reply to Komatsu et al.: From local social mindfulness to global sustainability efforts?

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Niels J. Van Doesum , Ryan O. Murphy, Marcello Gallucci, Efrat Aharonov-Majar, Ursula Athenstaedt... more Niels J. Van Doesum , Ryan O. Murphy, Marcello Gallucci, Efrat Aharonov-Majar, Ursula Athenstaedt , Wing Tung Au, Liying Bai , Robert B€ ohm , Inna Bovina , Nancy R. Buchan , Xiao-Ping Chen, Kitty B. Dumont , Jan B. Engelmann , Kimmo Eriksson , Hyun Euh , Susann Fiedler , Justin Friesen , Simon G€ achter , Camilo Garcia, Roberto Gonz alez , Sylvie Graf , Katarzyna Growiec , Serge Guimond , Martina H reb ı ckov a , Elizabeth Immer-Bernold, Jeff Joireman, Gokhan Karagonlar , Kerry Kawakami , Toko Kiyonari , Yu Kou, Alexandros-Andreas Kyrtsis , Siugmin Lay , Geoffrey J. Leonardelli , Norman P. Li, Yang Li , Boris Maciejovsky , Zoi Manesi, Ali Mashuri , Aurelia Mok , Karin S. Moser , Ladislav Mot ak , Adrian Netedu , Michael J. Platow , Karolina Raczka-Winkler, Christopher P. Reinders Folmer , Cecilia Reyna , Angelo Romano , Shaul Shalvi , Cl audia Sim~ ao , Adam W. Stivers , Pontus Strimling, Yannis Tsirbas , Sonja Utz , Leander van der Meij , Sven Waldzus , Yiwen Wang, Bernd Weber , Ori Weisel , Tim Wildschut , Fabian Winter , Junhui Wu , Jose C. Yong , and Paul A. M. Van Lange

Personality and burglary: A virtual reality study

Personality and Individual Differences

Hate: Towards Understanding its Distinctive Features across Interpersonal and Intergroup Targets

Although many psychological theories about hate have been emerging since the beginnings of the 20... more Although many psychological theories about hate have been emerging since the beginnings of the 20th century, there is still a lack of consensus among scholars about its nature and operationalization. Additionally, there is considerable theorizing about what hate is, how it develops, and how it differs from other discrete emotions such as anger, hostility, contempt, or disgust (e.g. Allport, 1979; Sternberg & Sternberg, 2008). However, due to some methodological difficulties associated with studying hate, a more systematical data-based research is needed and only recently, a renewed interest in conducting data-driven studies on hate has emerged (Fischer, Halperin, Canetti, & Jasini, 2018). Despite this lacking of evidence for the understanding of hate feelings, the concept is broadly used in the public discourse and often offered as a potential explanation of important socio-political struggles like terrorism (Mills, Freilich, & Chermak, 2017) or religiously motivated crimes (Müller ...

Preregistration Study 2

Amendment Preregistration Study 2

This is an Amendment to the preregistration of Study 2 in the context of the project "Hate&#... more

Preregistration Study 3

This is the pre-registration of the Study 3 in the context of the project The Threat-Hate-Aggress... more

Pre-registration

This is a pre-registration for the project "Direct and Indirect Punishment in Daily Life&quo... more