The Social Animal 2025

The Social Animal 2025

On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, the annual event The Social Animal took place at Cloud Nine, TivoliVredenburg Utrecht. In Pecha Kucha style – 20 slides, 20 seconds per slide – nine social psychologists shared their latest insights with the audience. As in previous years, Sofie van den Enk hosted the evening, enthusiastically and smoothly connecting the presentations. The result was an evening full of thought-provoking questions, societal relevance, and compelling social-psychological perspectives.
Although the topics varied, a common thread emerged (at least to me): a collective search for moral awareness and justice in our society. What does it mean to ‘do the right thing,’ and who decides what that is? How do our feelings of justice and morality influence our behavior – consciously and unconsciously? The presentations were not only informative but often surprising, offering fresh perspectives and raising questions that linger long after the lights go up.

I spy with my little eye
Keynote speaker Prof. Dr. Lotte van Dillen (Leiden University) kicked off the evening with a fascinating talk on perception and judgment. Video footage of, for instance, a robbery or crime may appear objective, but our brains quickly fill in details that color our view of guilt and intent. In a world saturated with surveillance imagery, her message felt both timely and powerful: we need greater awareness and a critical eye when making moral judgments and seeking truth.

Financial and (supervision of) ethical behavior
Dr. Florien Cramwinckel (SNS Bank) provided a refreshing and practical social-psychological perspective on financial behavior. Young people who are financially vulnerable often make choices that may not seem rational. By providing money hacks and practical tips, Florien helps them lead healthier financial lives – with room for “a social life and dancing.”
Sarwesh Ishwardat (Utrecht University) then shifted the focus to the financial sector itself. In his research at Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM), he investigates how supervision can encourage ethical behavior within financial institutions. What motivates these organizations to “do the right thing”? His findings suggest that a cooperative supervisory approach is just as effective as a deterrent one in promoting compliance – and even more effective in fostering ethical conduct within organizations.

The moral battle in politics and law
Chantal d’Amore (University of Groningen) presented striking insights into political polarization and moral beliefs. In an era where people seem increasingly divided and political debates are becoming more heated, she shows how such debates can escalate into moral conflicts. Her talk made a strong case for the role of dialogue and understanding in preventing ideological clashes from becoming full-blown moral wars.
Using powerful metaphors, Dr. Jiska Jonas-van Dijk (University of Twente) guided us through how our legal system is primarily focused on retribution – punishment that “fits the crime.” But is that truly justice? Or does it overlook the victim and their story? Restorative justice and mediation – which bring offender and victim into dialogue – create space for recognition and healing. Not only for the victim, but also for the offender, who is more likely to develop awareness, guilt, and a sense of responsibility for their moral failure.

Moral emotions in relationships
Dr. Karlijn Massar (Maastricht University) offered a surprising and engaging look at jealousy in men and women, showing that these emotions have different triggers rooted in evolutionary processes. Women tend to feel more threatened by the physical attractiveness of a female rival, while men are more affected by the dominance of a male rival. These emotional reactions often influence our moral judgments about others’ intentions and behavior within intimate relationships.

Social norms and rule-following behavior
Dr. Lucas Molleman (University of Amsterdam) explored the question of when people follow rules – and when they don’t. While economic models tend to emphasize reward and punishment, Lucas convincingly showed that social influence is at least equally important. If others break the rules, we are often inclined to do the same. His presentation cleverly illustrated – through seemingly simple experimental studies – how our sense of morality is shaped by group dynamics and social context.

Stability in personality
Dr. Loes Abrahams (Tilburg University) gave an intriguing presentation on how variability in personality affects both our self-image and the way others evaluate us. People differ greatly in how flexibly they adapt to various contexts, such as the workplace: some shift and adjust like chameleons, while others remain more stable. Interestingly, we tend to view our own personality variability in a positive light – as a sign of adaptability – and this leads us to rate our own work performance more favorably. However, when we observe the same variability in others, we’re more likely to interpret it as unpredictability, which often results in a more negative assessment of their performance.

Food waste and moral discomfort
Finally, Prof. Dr. Erica van Herpen (Wageningen University) addressed a familiar yet stubborn dilemma: food waste. Although many people find waste morally reprehensible, we still throw food away. Her engaging presentation revealed how moral discomfort and practical habits often clash – and how, in five simple steps – from planning, shopping, storing, and cooking to smart handling of leftovers – we can reduce waste at home.
The topics at The Social Animal 2025 were diverse, yet united by a shared drive to understand what drives people – and how we, as a society, can navigate questions of justice, responsibility, and moral behavior. An evening full of inspiration and reflection, where science and society met.

Written by: Yonn Bokern, PhD candidate, Utrecht University