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

244 works between 1998 and 2025
All (244) Journal Article (204) Book Chapter (16) Conference Publication (18) Book (4) Other Outputs (2)

121 - 140 of 244 works

2015

Journal Article

An Investigation of Positive and Negative Contact As Predictors of Intergroup Attitudes in the United States, Hong Kong, and Thailand

Techakesari, Pirathat, Barlow, Fiona Kate, Hornsey, Matthew J, Sung, Billy, Thai, Michael and Chak, Jocelyn L. Y (2015). An Investigation of Positive and Negative Contact As Predictors of Intergroup Attitudes in the United States, Hong Kong, and Thailand. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 46 (3), 454-468. doi: 10.1177/0022022115570313

An Investigation of Positive and Negative Contact As Predictors of Intergroup Attitudes in the United States, Hong Kong, and Thailand

2015

Journal Article

Collective Apologies and Their Effects on Forgiveness: Pessimistic Evidence but Constructive Implications

Hornsey, Matthew J., Wohl, Michael J. A. and Philpot, Catherine R. (2015). Collective Apologies and Their Effects on Forgiveness: Pessimistic Evidence but Constructive Implications. Australian Psychologist, 50 (2), 106-114. doi: 10.1111/ap.12087

Collective Apologies and Their Effects on Forgiveness: Pessimistic Evidence but Constructive Implications

2015

Journal Article

Loss of control stimulates approach motivation

Greenaway, Katharine H., Storrs, Katherine R., Philipp, Michael C., Louis, Winnifred R., Hornsey, Matthew J. and Vohs, Kathleen D. (2015). Loss of control stimulates approach motivation. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 56, 235-241. doi: 10.1016/j.jesp.2014.10.009

Loss of control stimulates approach motivation

2015

Journal Article

The Line between conformity and resistance

Jetten, Jolanda and Hornsey, Matthew J. (2015). The Line between conformity and resistance. Psychologist, 28 (1), 72-74.

The Line between conformity and resistance

2014

Journal Article

Applying the contact hypothesis to anti-fat attitudes: contact with overweight people is related to how we interact with our bodies and those of others

Alperin, Anandi, Hornsey, Matthew J., Hayward, Lydia E., Diedrichs, Phillippa C. and Barlow, Fiona Kate (2014). Applying the contact hypothesis to anti-fat attitudes: contact with overweight people is related to how we interact with our bodies and those of others. Social Science and Medicine, 123, 37-44. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.10.051

Applying the contact hypothesis to anti-fat attitudes: contact with overweight people is related to how we interact with our bodies and those of others

2014

Journal Article

The positive consequences of pain: a biopsychosocial approach

Bastian, Brock, Jetten, Jolanda, Hornsey, Matthew J. and Leknes, Sri (2014). The positive consequences of pain: a biopsychosocial approach. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 18 (3), 256-279. doi: 10.1177/1088868314527831

The positive consequences of pain: a biopsychosocial approach

2014

Journal Article

Developing a social psychology of climate change

Fielding, Kelly S., Hornsey, Matthew J. and Swim, Janet K. (2014). Developing a social psychology of climate change. European Journal of Social Psychology, 44 (5), 413-420. doi: 10.1002/ejsp.2058

Developing a social psychology of climate change

2014

Journal Article

Understanding the power of the picture: the effect of image content on emotional and political responses to terrorism

Iyer, Aarti, Webster, Joanna, Hornsey, Matthew J. and Vanman, Eric J. (2014). Understanding the power of the picture: the effect of image content on emotional and political responses to terrorism. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 44 (7), 511-521. doi: 10.1111/jasp.12243

Understanding the power of the picture: the effect of image content on emotional and political responses to terrorism

2014

Journal Article

What makes a group worth dying for? Identity fusion fosters perception of familial ties, promoting self-sacrifice

Swann Jr., William B., Buhrmester, Michael D., Gomez, Angel, Jetten, Jolanda, Bastian, Brock, Vazquez, Alexandra, Ariyanto, Amarina, Besta, Tomasz, Christ, Oliver, Cui, Lijuan, Finchilescu, Gillian, Gonzalez, Roberto, Goto, Nobuhiko, Hornsey, Matthew, Sharma, Sushama, Susianto, Harry and Zhang, Airong (2014). What makes a group worth dying for? Identity fusion fosters perception of familial ties, promoting self-sacrifice. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 106 (6), 912-926. doi: 10.1037/a0036089

What makes a group worth dying for? Identity fusion fosters perception of familial ties, promoting self-sacrifice

2014

Journal Article

Fight and flight: evidence of aggressive capitulation in the face of fear messages from terrorists

Iyer, Aarti, Hornsey, Matthew J., Vanman, Eric J., Esposo, Sarah and Ale, Shalini (2014). Fight and flight: evidence of aggressive capitulation in the face of fear messages from terrorists. Political Psychology, 36 (6), 631-648. doi: 10.1111/pops.12182

Fight and flight: evidence of aggressive capitulation in the face of fear messages from terrorists

2014

Journal Article

Overplaying the diversity card: when a superordinate group overrepresents the prevalence of a minority group

Spoor, Jennifer R., Jetten, Jolanda and Hornsey, Matthew J. (2014). Overplaying the diversity card: when a superordinate group overrepresents the prevalence of a minority group. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, 17 (2), 161-177. doi: 10.1177/1368430213497063

Overplaying the diversity card: when a superordinate group overrepresents the prevalence of a minority group

2014

Journal Article

Feeling connected again: interventions that increase social identification reduce depression symptoms in community and clinical settings

Cruwys, Tegan, Haslam, S. Alexander, Dingle, Genevieve A., Jetten, Jolanda, Hornsey, Matthew J., Chong, E. M. Desdemona and Oei, Tian P. S. (2014). Feeling connected again: interventions that increase social identification reduce depression symptoms in community and clinical settings. Journal of Affective Disorders, 159, 139-146. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2014.02.019

Feeling connected again: interventions that increase social identification reduce depression symptoms in community and clinical settings

2014

Journal Article

The sins of their fathers: when current generations are held to account for the transgressions of previous generations

Goto, Nobuhiko, Jetten, Jolanda, Karasawa, Minoru and Hornsey, Matthew J. (2014). The sins of their fathers: when current generations are held to account for the transgressions of previous generations. Political Psychology, 36 (4), 479-487. doi: 10.1111/pops.12172

The sins of their fathers: when current generations are held to account for the transgressions of previous generations

2014

Journal Article

Social isolation schema responds to positive social experiences: longitudinal evidence from vulnerable populations

Cruwys, Tegan, Dingle, Genevieve A., Hornsey, Matthew J., Jetten, Jolanda, Oei, Tian P. S. and Walter, Zoe C. (2014). Social isolation schema responds to positive social experiences: longitudinal evidence from vulnerable populations. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 53 (3), 265-280. doi: 10.1111/bjc.12042

Social isolation schema responds to positive social experiences: longitudinal evidence from vulnerable populations

2014

Journal Article

Gustatory pleasure and pain. The offset of acute physical pain enhances responsiveness to taste

Bastian, Brock, Jetten, Jolanda and Hornsey, Matthew J. (2014). Gustatory pleasure and pain. The offset of acute physical pain enhances responsiveness to taste. Appetite, 72, 150-155. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2013.10.011

Gustatory pleasure and pain. The offset of acute physical pain enhances responsiveness to taste

2014

Journal Article

From fighting the system to embracing it: control loss promotes system justification among those high in psychological reactance

Knight, Clinton G., Tobin, Stephanie J. and Hornsey, Matthew J. (2014). From fighting the system to embracing it: control loss promotes system justification among those high in psychological reactance. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 54, 139-146. doi: 10.1016/j.jesp.2014.04.012

From fighting the system to embracing it: control loss promotes system justification among those high in psychological reactance

2014

Journal Article

(Deviant) friends with benefits the impact of group boundary permeability on minority group members’ responses to ethnic deviance

Thai, Michael, Barlow, Fiona Kate and Hornsey, Matthew J. (2014). (Deviant) friends with benefits the impact of group boundary permeability on minority group members’ responses to ethnic deviance. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 5 (3), 360-368. doi: 10.1177/1948550613499939

(Deviant) friends with benefits the impact of group boundary permeability on minority group members’ responses to ethnic deviance

2014

Journal Article

Deviance and dissent in groups

Jetten, Jolanda and Hornsey, Matthew J. (2014). Deviance and dissent in groups. Annual Review of Psychology, 65, 461-485. doi: 10.1146/annurev-psych-010213-115151

Deviance and dissent in groups

2013

Journal Article

The wallpaper effect: the contact hypothesis fails for minority group members who live in areas with a high proportion of majority group members

Barlow, Fiona Kate, Hornsey, Matthew J., Thai, Michael, Sengupta, Nikhil K. and Sibley, Chris G. (2013). The wallpaper effect: the contact hypothesis fails for minority group members who live in areas with a high proportion of majority group members. PloS One, 8 (12) e82228, 2152-2178. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0082228

The wallpaper effect: the contact hypothesis fails for minority group members who live in areas with a high proportion of majority group members

2013

Journal Article

Perceived control qualifies the effects of threat on prejudice

Greenaway, Katharine H., Louis, Winnifred R., Hornsey, Matthew J. and Jones, Janelle M. (2013). Perceived control qualifies the effects of threat on prejudice. British Journal of Social Psychology, 53 (3), 422-442. doi: 10.1111/bjso.12049

Perceived control qualifies the effects of threat on prejudice

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 Justin Brienza

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The impact of applying traditional intelligence techniques to complex business problems

    Principal Advisor

  • 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

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communications@uq.edu.au