As an expert on conspiracy theories he has been a speaker at Nieuwsuur, Hart van Nederland, De wereld draait door and Al Jazeera. On the day of this interview RTL News called to ask if he would like to participate in a news item, but unfortunately that did not work out because Jan-Willem was still in quarantine that day. His research is about conspiracy thinking, extremism, and feelings of injustice. He is interested in the 'darker' side of people: what fuels their distrust, how do they become radicalized, what makes them break rules, and so on.
Since September 2021, Jan-Willem van Prooijen is program director of the Bachelor of Psychology at the VU. In this interview, based on a number of questions, he outlines his role within and outside the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and his future vision for both his work as a researcher and his role as program director.
What is your role in the Bachelor of Psychology?
I am the programme director, and in that role I am responsible for the ins and outs of the programme. It involves a lot of work. I am the linking pin between the board and the lecturers. I am also responsible for communication with all parties, for information and recruitment of students, for the consistency of the programme. We are working on Blended Learning. Together with the coordinator of the bachelor I am responsible for the tutorship of the bachelor. In addition to the management tasks, I am fortunate enough to remain productive as a researcher.
Before that, I taught for 15 years in the bachelor's programme, for the social psychology course in the first year. And for a long time I was programme director of the Research Master. With almost 500 students in the first year, the bachelor's programme is a lot larger, and that takes a lot of work, but I also see it as a nice challenge.
How would you describe the team of the Bachelor of Psychology?
We work in a large organisation, I work with a huge team, with many people and parties. First of all with many lecturers who teach in the 3-year bachelor and the tutors and tutor groups, with Lisette Schmidt as the coordinator of these. On the subject of quality assurance, I have a lot to do with the Education and Examinations Committee: they ensure that the quality of education and the quality of exams are in order. Of course I regularly deal with the Faculty Board, responsible for policy. And I work a lot with the Blended Learning team. I am impressed by what a well-oiled machine this large organisation is.
What drives you, what excites you?
I have a big heart for education. I think it is very important that students receive a good education. I want students to be well prepared for their future role in society. The corona pandemic makes it more difficult to provide good education, but also more challenging. In the past, as a teacher, I always did my utmost for good education, and now in my role as programme director, I see the coordinating tasks of education as a new challenge with the same goal, from the same motive.
The Bachelor of Psychology has a numerus fixus, which has been set for all universities in the Netherlands at 600 students. How is it possible that the enrolment thereafter (in 2020) has decreased from 780 to 369?
The lower enrolment in 2020 (369) will certainly have to do with corona. Last year, enrolment increased for most programmes, including the Bachelor of Psychology. Last year we had a larger intake, almost 420. This is a composite number, from the number of domestic students on the one hand, and the number of international students on the other. The faculty aims for 450, so a little more. Anyway, it is difficult to explain why the enrolment is lower than the numerus fixus, it has to do with several things. Competition from other study programmes plays a part. The corona pandemic has resulted in fewer enrolments, particularly from international students.
What is your future vision for the bachelor?
In my vision of the future, I have a number of spearheads, such as quality assurance for certain subjects, blended learning, peer review evaluations and reducing the workload.
- At the moment, the evaluation of the education depends entirely on student evaluations. I think it would be good to give more room to peer review evaluations to assess the quality of education.
- The university has invested in Blended Learning: it is a good plan to maintain the recent achievements in digital education even after the coronapandemic, and thus to continue to make the supply of education more flexible and thus more attractive to students.
- Because of the coronapandemic, the consultations between lecturers have come to a standstill: I want to breathe new life into the consultations on quality assurance, in order to guarantee the consistency of the education, for example by ensuring that things are not repeated twice in different courses, or by stimulating that Blended Learning is applied consistently throughout the education programme.
- And furthermore, reducing the workload requires attention. It is a VU-wide point of attention, because many employees suffer from too high a workload, especially now. It is important to keep an eye on what kind of support can be offered to lecturers, and for which courses this is most necessary.
How is the cooperation with other programmes and faculties?
Fortunately, I can boast several collaborations and consultations. Within the Psychology Department, several universities work together in a consultation. With the faculty team, we have good contacts with other study programmes. In the Research Master Social Psychology I have built a strong network with other programme directors in the role of coordinator and programme director. Currently, I also have a pleasant cooperation with the Pedagogy programme.
Other bachelor's programmes in Psychology at other universities in the Netherlands: do you see them as competitors in recruiting students or as colleagues working together to provide good education?
I definitely see other psychology bachelor's programmes as colleagues offering education. For me, the most important thing is to offer the best possible education and offer students a good future. If a student chooses another programme, for instance because of something the VU cannot offer them, in my opinion the student's interests come first.
The Bachelor of Psychology is a focus course - what does this mean?
A new campaign is being set up for Psychology, with a view to bring the study programme to the attention of the public and to recruit students. Also, the Bachelor of Psychology has had a numerus fixus for some time now. This is important, because too high an intake would be at the expense of the quality of the study programme. There will be another online bachelor's day soon, at which I will also give a presentation, to discuss my enthusiasm for the profession and our study programme. Our programme has a lot to offer, we have good teachers, we are a clear-cut psychology programme that prepares you well for a master's degree or a role in society. Despite this clear focus, you still have many options as a student. Of course, in the form of the various minors that students can choose during the programme, but also afterwards students have many options in terms of Master's programmes or career choices.
How do the online bachelor days work?
Previously, young people could first experience various open days live, in order to experience the atmosphere of the university and to find out where they felt most at home, a very different experience from the way it is now, all online. A prospective student is now asked to choose a programme on the basis of 'how nice is the film' or 'how appealing is that particular speaker? That makes it a lot harder for students: after all, an important part of your choice is determined by the impression you get of lecturers, the location, the atmosphere and the feeling of 'do I feel at home here? Circumstances have taken this away from today's students, which is regrettable. But we make do with what we have, and online we try to give the best and most honest picture possible of what we have to offer, what the spearheads and focuses of the study programme are. It is important to respond to the living environment of students and to present our field well.
I understand that there are already more registrations than last year?
The deadline was 15 January and we received more than 1500 applications; that is almost 30% more than last year and therefore very good news. There is still some uncertainty because it is always a question of how many of those applications will actually be accepted into the programme. But given these numbers, it is likely that the intake next year will also be higher.
Who at VU Amsterdam would you like to compliment?
Of course the entire faculty board, hats off to them. Compliments especially to Gonneke and Kirsten for how they continuously take difficult decisions and deliver difficult messages to both lecturers and students during this crisis. Applause for all lecturers who continue to do the work and are so flexible to switch to online if necessary, or back to the campus if possible. A lot is asked of everyone... in fact, a big compliment to everyone!
Can you tell us about your research on conspiracy theories?
My research deals with the question of which individual and social factors make people more or less susceptible to conspiracy theories, and also what the consequences of conspiracy theories are for society. For example, I have shown, in collaboration with several colleagues, that the political extremes - and especially the extreme right - are sensitive to conspiracy theories, and that belief in conspiracy theories arises much more strongly from emotions than from analytical thinking. Recent research has also given us more insight into the longer-term effects of conspiracy theories on people's well-being and health. For example, in a large sample of the Dutch population, we found that the more people believed in conspiracy theories at the beginning of the corona crisis (April 2020), the more likely they were to have tested positive for the corona virus eight months later (December 2020).
To what extent is this now relevant?
Conspiracy theories are especially alive in times of crisis, as is currently the case with the corona pandemic. The climate crisis has also fuelled conspiracy theories. It is important to understand where conspiracy thinking comes from and what can be done about it. The number of people susceptible to conspiracy theories is relatively large, and conspiracy thinking can have a major impact on society. For example, belief in conspiracy theories is a very good predictor of whether people will be vaccinated against corona, or will keep to the measures (such as mouth masks or 1.5 metre spacing). Conspiracy theories also feed social discontent, which can manifest itself in votes for populist parties, or violent forms of protest. Conspiracy theories often undermine the support needed for interventions to help society out of a crisis situation.
How do you feel about being regularly asked as an expert by journalists?
I really enjoy talking to journalists about my research. It is always a challenge to talk to journalists, because you have to explain your findings in a different, more accessible way than you would at scientific conferences. I also think it's important to contribute to the public debate as a scientist, so I'm glad I get the chance to do that regularly. Of course, sometimes I am very busy and an invitation from a journalist is not always convenient. Therefore, I do not accept every invitation. But if it is convenient, and it is a subject about which I feel I can really say something meaningful, then I am happy to do it.
Text and photo: Petra van Velzen