Mark van Vugt

Mark van Vugt is a Netherlands born evolutionary psychologist who currently holds professorship postions at the VU University (Vrije Universiteit) Amsterdam, the Netherlands, the University of Oxford, UK, and the University of Kent, UK. Mark studied psychology at the University of Groningen, followed by a PhD in applied social psychology at the University of Maastricht during which he worked on research into environmental protection and transportation as social dilemmaand tragedy of the commons problem.

After receiving his PhD in 1996, Mark van Vugt was hired by the University of Southampton, UK, to work as a lecturer in psychology, followed by a professorship in 2004 at the University of Kent, UK. Mark currently holds a chair in psychology at the VU University (Vrije Universiteit) Amsterdam, bringing evolutionary thinking into the field of social psychology and organisational psychology. His research covers all areas of evolutionary psychology as applied to areas such as leadership, group dynamics, social dilemmas, organisational psychology, volunteering and environmental protection. He is author of books on leadershipand the social dilemma and his research is discussed in various media outlets as the New Scientist, the Times, the Guardian, CNN, BBC, and many others around the world.

Mark van Vugt has served on the editorial board of various journals in psychology such as the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and sat on various panels on the psychology teaching and psychology research funding. He is an affiliate member of the British Academy project “From Lucy to Language”. He is currently leading, together with Robin Dunbar of the University of Oxford, a series of lectures for the Economic and Social Research Council highlighting the role of Darwinian and evolutionary psychology in solving societal problems such as poverty, environmental protection, charity, business and leadership.

References

Mark van Vugt's research on evolutionary psychology of leadership appears in the New Scientist and ScienceDaily [1] [2]

Mark Van Vugt's work on the psychology of environmental protection discussed in the New Scientist [3]

Mark van Vugt's evolutionary lessons in leadership failure appear in blogs on the Mind [4]

Mark van Vugt gives Darwin lecture at Academia for Sciences in Czech Republic [5]

External links VU University website

Mark van Vugt's webpage

Daily Science News

On the Commons website

Human Behavior and Evolution Society website

Selected Books:

Buunk, A. P., & Van Vugt, M. (2007). Applying social psychology: From problems to solutions. London: Sage Publications.

Van Vugt, M., & Ahuja, A. (2010). Selected: What evolutionary psychology tells us about leadership. London: Profile Books.

Van Vugt, M., Snyder, M., Tyler, T., & Biel, A. (Eds.). (2000). Cooperation in modern society: Promoting the welfare of communities, states, and organizations. London: Routledge.

Selected Journal Articles:

Brosnan, S. F., Newton-Fisher, N. E., & Van Vugt, M. (2009). A melding of minds: When primatology meets social psychology. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 13, 129-147.

Hardy, C. L., & Van Vugt, M. (2006). Nice guys finish first: The competitive altruism hypothesis. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32, 1402-1413.

Van Vugt, M. (2006). Evolutionary origins of leadership and followership. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 10, 354-372.