Professor Matthew Hornsey
Professor

Matthew Hornsey

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 344 31218

Background

Supported by over 20 external grants - including an ARC Laureate - I am known for developing insights around three themes: (1) rejection of science and technology, (2) pro-environmental behaviour, and (3) intergroup relations. In each domain I have developed unique models designed to understand the logic behind supposedly “irrational” behaviour, and used them to facilitate attitude and behaviour change. My most recent work focuses on understanding (and reducing) people’s motivations to reject scientific consensus, including the psychology of climate inaction. Matthew is currently leading the Net Zero Observatory at the University of Queensland, a multi-disciplinary group of academics and practitioners who design strategies to accelerate industry action and community support for rapid decarbonisation.

Availability

Professor Matthew Hornsey is:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Fields of research

Communication and media studies Psychology

Qualifications

  • Bachelor (Honours) of Arts, The University of Queensland
  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland

Research interests

  • Rejection of science

    I examine the psychological motivations for people to reject scientific consensus, with a particular emphasis on the psychology of climate change skepticism and vaccine hesitancy.

  • Prejudice and intergroup relations

    I examine the psychology of why hostility emerges between nations, religions, ideologies etc. I then use these insights to examine what can be done to ease intergroup tensions.

  • Conspiracy theories

    I examine why people believe in conspiracy theories, the consequences of conspiracy theories, and strategies for reducing their negative impacts

Search Professor Matthew Hornsey’s works on UQ eSpace

235 works between 1998 and 2024
All (235) Journal Article (195) Book Chapter (16) Conference Publication (18) Book (4) Other Outputs (2)

1 - 20 of 235 works

Featured

2023

Journal Article

Individual, intergroup and nation-level influences on belief in conspiracy theories

Hornsey, Matthew J., Bierwiaczonek, Kinga, Sassenberg, Kai and Douglas, Karen M. (2023). Individual, intergroup and nation-level influences on belief in conspiracy theories. Nature Reviews Psychology, 2 (2), 85-97. doi: 10.1038/s44159-022-00133-0

Individual, intergroup and nation-level influences on belief in conspiracy theories

Featured

2022

Journal Article

Radical interventions for climate-impacted systems

Morrison, Tiffany H., Adger, W. Neil, Agrawal, Arun, Brown, Katrina, Hornsey, Matthew J., Hughes, Terry P., Jain, Meha, Lemos, Maria Carmen, McHugh, Lucy Holmes, O’Neill, Saffron and Van Berkel, Derek (2022). Radical interventions for climate-impacted systems. Nature Climate Change, 12 (12), 1100-1106. doi: 10.1038/s41558-022-01542-y

Radical interventions for climate-impacted systems

Featured

2022

Journal Article

A toolkit for understanding and addressing climate scepticism

Hornsey, Matthew J. and Lewandowsky, Stephan (2022). A toolkit for understanding and addressing climate scepticism. Nature Human Behaviour, 6 (11), 1454-1464. doi: 10.1038/s41562-022-01463-y

A toolkit for understanding and addressing climate scepticism

Featured

2022

Journal Article

A political experiment may have extracted Australia from the climate wars

Hornsey, Matthew J., Chapman, Cassandra M., Fielding, Kelly S., Louis, Winnifred R. and Pearson, Samuel (2022). A political experiment may have extracted Australia from the climate wars. Nature Climate Change, 12 (8), 695-696. doi: 10.1038/s41558-022-01431-4

A political experiment may have extracted Australia from the climate wars

Featured

2022

Journal Article

Reasons why people may refuse COVID-19 vaccination (and what can be done about it)

Hornsey, Matthew J. (2022). Reasons why people may refuse COVID-19 vaccination (and what can be done about it). World Psychiatry, 21 (2), 217-218. doi: 10.1002/wps.20990

Reasons why people may refuse COVID-19 vaccination (and what can be done about it)

Featured

2019

Journal Article

Understanding (and reducing) inaction on climate change

Hornsey, Matthew J. and Fielding, Kelly S. (2019). Understanding (and reducing) inaction on climate change. Social Issues and Policy Review, 14 (1) sipr.12058, 3-35. doi: 10.1111/sipr.12058

Understanding (and reducing) inaction on climate change

Featured

2019

Journal Article

Why do we hold mixed emotions about racial out-groups? A case for affect matching

Barlow, Fiona Kate, Hornsey, Matthew J., Hayward, Lydia E., Houkamau, Carla A., Kang, Jemima, Milojev, Petar and Sibley, Chris G. (2019). Why do we hold mixed emotions about racial out-groups? A case for affect matching. Psychological Science, 30 (6), 917-929. doi: 10.1177/0956797619844269

Why do we hold mixed emotions about racial out-groups? A case for affect matching

Featured

2018

Journal Article

How much is enough in a perfect world? Cultural variation in ideal levels of happiness, pleasure, freedom, health, self-esteem, longevity, and intelligence

Hornsey, Matthew J., Bain, Paul G., Harris, Emily A., Lebedeva, Nadezhda, Kashima, Emiko S., Guan, Yanjun, González, Roberto, Chen, Sylvia Xiaohua and Blumen, Sheyla (2018). How much is enough in a perfect world? Cultural variation in ideal levels of happiness, pleasure, freedom, health, self-esteem, longevity, and intelligence. Psychological Science, 29 (9), 1393-1404. doi: 10.1177/0956797618768058

How much is enough in a perfect world? Cultural variation in ideal levels of happiness, pleasure, freedom, health, self-esteem, longevity, and intelligence

Featured

2018

Journal Article

Relationships among conspiratorial beliefs, conservatism and climate scepticism across nations

Hornsey, Matthew J., Harris, Emily A. and Fielding, Kelly S. (2018). Relationships among conspiratorial beliefs, conservatism and climate scepticism across nations. Nature Climate Change, 8 (7), 614-620. doi: 10.1038/s41558-018-0157-2

Relationships among conspiratorial beliefs, conservatism and climate scepticism across nations

Featured

2017

Journal Article

Attitude roots and jiu jitsu persuasion: understanding and overcoming the motivated rejection of science

Hornsey, Matthew J. and Fielding, Kelly S. (2017). Attitude roots and jiu jitsu persuasion: understanding and overcoming the motivated rejection of science. American Psychologist, 72 (5), 459-473. doi: 10.1037/a0040437

Attitude roots and jiu jitsu persuasion: understanding and overcoming the motivated rejection of science

Featured

2016

Journal Article

Meta-analyses of the determinants and outcomes of belief in climate change

Hornsey, Matthew J., Harris, Emily A., Bain, Paul G. and Fielding, Kelly S. (2016). Meta-analyses of the determinants and outcomes of belief in climate change. Nature Climate Change, 6 (6), 622-626. doi: 10.1038/nclimate2943

Meta-analyses of the determinants and outcomes of belief in climate change

2024

Journal Article

The vaccination divide: Exploring moral reasoning associated with intergroup antipathy between vaccinated and unvaccinated people

Hatchman, Kate, Hornsey, Matthew J. and Barlow, Fiona Kate (2024). The vaccination divide: Exploring moral reasoning associated with intergroup antipathy between vaccinated and unvaccinated people. British Journal of Health Psychology. doi: 10.1111/bjhp.12736

The vaccination divide: Exploring moral reasoning associated with intergroup antipathy between vaccinated and unvaccinated people

2024

Journal Article

Meat and morality: The moral foundation of purity, but not harm, predicts attitudes toward cultured meat

Wilks, Matti, Crimston, Charlie R. and Hornsey, Matthew J. (2024). Meat and morality: The moral foundation of purity, but not harm, predicts attitudes toward cultured meat. Appetite, 197 107297, 107297. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107297

Meat and morality: The moral foundation of purity, but not harm, predicts attitudes toward cultured meat

2024

Journal Article

Perceptions of climate change threat across 121 nations: The role of individual and national wealth

Hornsey, Matthew J. and Pearson, Samuel (2024). Perceptions of climate change threat across 121 nations: The role of individual and national wealth. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 96 102338, 102338. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102338

Perceptions of climate change threat across 121 nations: The role of individual and national wealth

2024

Journal Article

Publicly expressed climate scepticism is greatest in regions with high CO2 emissions

Pearson, Samuel, Hornsey, Matthew J., Rekker, Saphira, Wade, Belinda and Greig, Chris (2024). Publicly expressed climate scepticism is greatest in regions with high CO2 emissions. Climatic Change, 177 (5) 79. doi: 10.1007/s10584-024-03740-3

Publicly expressed climate scepticism is greatest in regions with high CO2 emissions

2024

Journal Article

Loneliness trajectories over three decades are associated with conspiracist worldviews in midlife

Bierwiaczonek, Kinga, Fluit, Sam, von Soest, Tilmann, Hornsey, Matthew J. and Kunst, Jonas R. (2024). Loneliness trajectories over three decades are associated with conspiracist worldviews in midlife. Nature Communications, 15 (1) 3629, 1-8. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-47113-x

Loneliness trajectories over three decades are associated with conspiracist worldviews in midlife

2024

Journal Article

A 30-nation investigation of lay heritability beliefs

Ferris, Laura J., Hornsey, Matthew J., Morosoli, José J., Milfont, Taciano L. and Barlow, Fiona Kate (2024). A 30-nation investigation of lay heritability beliefs. Public Understanding of Science, 9636625241245030. doi: 10.1177/09636625241245030

A 30-nation investigation of lay heritability beliefs

2024

Journal Article

Corporate apologies are effective because reform signals are weighted more heavily than culpability signals

Hornsey, Matthew J., Chapman, Cassandra M., La Macchia, Stephen and Loakes, Jennifer (2024). Corporate apologies are effective because reform signals are weighted more heavily than culpability signals. Journal of Business Research, 177 114620. doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2024.114620

Corporate apologies are effective because reform signals are weighted more heavily than culpability signals

2024

Journal Article

Is your accent right for the job? A meta-analysis on accent bias in hiring decisions

Spence, Jessica L., Hornsey, Matthew J., Stephenson, Eloise M. and Imuta, Kana (2024). Is your accent right for the job? A meta-analysis on accent bias in hiring decisions. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 50 (3), 371-386. doi: 10.1177/01461672221130595

Is your accent right for the job? A meta-analysis on accent bias in hiring decisions

2024

Journal Article

Do Pre-merger Loyalties Help or Hinder Post-merger Retention? A Longitudinal Study

Edwards, Martin R., Lipponen, Jukka, Kaltiainen, Janne and Hornsey, Matthew (2024). Do Pre-merger Loyalties Help or Hinder Post-merger Retention? A Longitudinal Study. British Journal of Management, 35 (4), 1746-1762. doi: 10.1111/1467-8551.12789

Do Pre-merger Loyalties Help or Hinder Post-merger Retention? A Longitudinal Study

Current funding

  • 2024 - 2029
    Understanding and overcoming community roadblocks to achieving net-zero
    ARC Australian Laureate Fellowships
    Open grant
  • 2024 - 2027
    Mapping the psychology of accent-based discrimination
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2022 - 2026
    Visualising humanitarian crises: transforming images and aid policy
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2021 - 2024
    The psychology of understanding and reducing conspiracy beliefs
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2021
    Understanding and overcoming public rejection of scientific innovation
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2020
    Behind a moral shield: Responses to trust breaches in mission-based groups
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2015
    Trust breaches in the not-for-profit sector: Causes, consequences and solutions
    UQ Collaboration and Industry Engagement Fund - Seed Research Grant
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2017
    Understanding (and responding to) scepticism about science
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2016
    Identifying and resolving challenges to the effectiveness of collective apologies (ARC Discovery Project administered by Flinders University)
    Flinders University
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2014
    Sending and responding to messages about climate change: The role of emotion and morality
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2012
    UQ Category 1 Travel Award - Geoff MacDonald
    UQ Travel Awards for International Collaborative Research (Category 1)
    Open grant
  • 2010 - 2012
    Promoting intergroup forgiveness: The benefits and pitfalls of apologies and invocations of shared humanity
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2009 - 2011
    Emotional and political reactions to representations of terrorism
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2009
    UQ Travel Awards Category 1, Dr Michael Wohl
    UQ Travel Grants Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2008 - 2015
    Rebuilding Government Legitimacy in Post-Conflict Societies: Case Studies of Nepal and Afghanistan/ Rebuilding institutional legitimacy in post-conflict societies: An Asia-Pacific Case Study, Phase 1A
    United States Air Force Office of Scientific Research
    Open grant
  • 2008 - 2009
    Negotiating the minefield: social conventions surrounding group criticism and their role in explaining defensiveness
    ARC Linkage International
    Open grant
  • 2007 - 2009
    The bitter pill: The psychology of giving and taking interpersonal criticism
    UQ Foundation Research Excellence Awards - DVC(R) Funding
    Open grant
  • 2007 - 2009
    What people say and do in response to negative feedback: Explaining and reducing defensiveness toward individual and group criticism
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2006 - 2008
    Exploring The Link Between Group Processes And Outcomes Of Group Psychotherapy
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2005 - 2006
    ESEG_Using group processes to predict outcomes of group cognitive behaviour therapy
    UQ External Support Enabling Grant
    Open grant
  • 2005
    Using group processes to predict outcomes of group cognitive behaviour therapy
    University of Queensland Research Development Grants Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2004
    Linking group processes and outcomes in group cognitive behaviour therapy
    UQ External Support Enabling Grant
    Open grant
  • 2004 - 2006
    Understanding and reducing defensiveness in the face of group criticism
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2003
    Understanding and reducing sensitivity to group criticism: The role of identity, trust, and loyalty
    University of Queensland Research Development Grants Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2001
    Understanding and reducing sensitivity to intergroup and intragroup criticism.
    UQ Early Career Researcher
    Open grant
  • 2000
    The role of group prototypicality in intergroup discrimination
    ARC Australian Research Council (Small grants)
    Open grant

Availability

Professor Matthew Hornsey is:
Available for supervision

Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.

Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The impact of applying traditional intelligence techniques to complex business problems

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Michael Collins

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Public Perceptions of Climate Change Protests

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Michael Thai

Completed supervision

Enquiries

Contact Professor Matthew Hornsey directly for media enquiries about:

  • anti-science beliefs
  • climate change skepticism

Need help?

For help with finding experts, story ideas and media enquiries, contact our Media team:

communications@uq.edu.au