Prof. Dr. Carsten K.W. de Dreu stands as a preeminent figure in social psychology whose groundbreaking work has reshaped our understanding of human cooperation and conflict. Currently serving as Professor of Foundations of Cooperation and Social Organization at the University of Groningen, he previously held distinguished positions at Leiden University where he specialized in social, economic and organisational psychology for eight years. A Fulbright Fellow during his doctoral studies, de Dreu earned his PhD from the University of Groningen in 1993 and has since built an illustrious career spanning over three decades of impactful research. His academic journey includes notable appointments as Distinguished Research Fellow at the University of Oxford since 2016 and Research Affiliate at the German Primate Center, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of his scholarly contributions.
De Dreu's pioneering research has fundamentally transformed our understanding of group dynamics, particularly through his development of the Dual Pathway to Creativity Model alongside Matthijs Baas and Bernard Nijstad, which explains creative cognition through both flexible thinking and persistent processing. His seminal work on the differential impacts of task conflict versus relationship conflict on team performance has become foundational in organizational psychology, demonstrating how constructive debate can enhance innovation while interpersonal friction undermines productivity. With over 72,000 citations, his research on the neurobiological underpinnings of cooperation has revealed how oxytocin and other biological mechanisms influence social decision-making, bridging the gap between neuroscience and social psychology. His insights into how social preferences shape negotiation outcomes have provided practical frameworks adopted by organizations worldwide to improve collaborative effectiveness.
Beyond his individual research, Professor de Dreu has profoundly shaped the field through his leadership roles as former president of both the European Association for Social Psychology and the International Association for Conflict Management, fostering international collaboration among scholars. His receipt of the Netherlands' highest scientific honor, the Spinoza Award in 2018, alongside the Kurt Lewin Medal and the Humboldt Forschungspreis, underscores the global recognition of his transformative contributions to psychological science. Currently directing research at the intersection of social psychology and neuroscience, de Dreu continues to explore how evolutionary principles inform modern human cooperation in complex societies. His ongoing work promises to further illuminate the biological and psychological foundations of social organization, offering new pathways to address contemporary challenges in intergroup relations and collaborative problem-solving across diverse contexts.
