Wijnand A. P. van Tilburg Present Position: Lecturer	Contact Information                               Department of Psychology; Room CS2-023 University of Limerick, Castletroy; Co. Limerick Telephone: +353 (0)6 120 2621 Email: Wijnand.vanTilburg@ul.ie

Qualifications:

Ph.D in Psychology (University of Limerick, 2011; formal graduation in January)

MPhil. in Social Psychology (Tilburg University, 2008)

BSc. in Social Psychology (Tilburg University, 2006)

Brief Description of my Research:

My research evolves mainly in the areas of social cognition and social psychology. Within these domains I am particularly interested in the topics of self-regulation, emotions, decision making, and experimental existential psychology.

A major facet of my research involves the study of boredom, and how this experience affects phenomena such as aggression, intergroup processes, memory, and prosocial behavior. A reoccurring theme throughout this research is the notion that boredom motivates people to re-affirm the meaningfulness of their actions, which can lead to both desirable and undesirable outcomes depending on context.

Besides research on boredom, I am also involved in research on the effects of loneliness, life and mortality salience, authenticity, problem solving, and appraisals of behaviors associated with goal pursuit.

Current Teaching:

Psychology and Everyday Life (PS4031; Module Leader)

Advanced Research Methods (PS4045; Module Leader)

Major Research Project (PS6003; Module Leader)

Cognition and Psycholinguistics (SL6045)

Publications

Van Tilburg, W. A. P., & Igou, E. R. (2011). On boredom and social identity: A pragmatic meaning-regulation approach. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.DOI: 10.1177/0146167211418530

Van Tilburg, W. A. P., & Igou, E. R. (2011). On the meaningfulness of existence: When life salience boosts adherence to worldviews. European Journal of Social Psychology. DOI: 10.1002/ejsp.819

Van Tilburg, W. A. P., & Igou, E. R. (2011). On boredom: Lack of challenge and meaning as distinct boredom experiences. Motivation and Emotion.DOI:10.1007/s11031-011-9234-9

Igou, E. R., Van Dongen, F., & Van Tilburg, W. A. P. (in press). Preferences. In V. S. Ramachandran (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Human Behavior (Vol. 2).Academic Press.

Selected Media Coverage

Dublin City FM (2011, August). Interview with P. Haughey on boredom and social identity.

The Irish Times (2011, August). Boredom can fuel hostility toward outsiders. By A. Strange.

Miller-McCune (2011, August). Boredom can fuel hostility toward outsiders. By T. Jacobs.

Radio 3 FM (2011, May). Live interview on "GI:EL" about prosocial consequences of boredom.

BBC Three Counties Radio (2011, May). Live interview on the "The Other Show" about prosocial consequences of boredom.

The Business Insider (2011, May). Boredom is good for you. By G. Lubin.

The Guardian (2011, May). Boredom is good for you, study claims: Being bored can motivate people to 'enage in prosocial tasks and encourage more meaningful behavior'. By A. Hill.

Presentations

Van Tilburg, W. A. P., Igou, E. R., & Sedikides, S. (2011, August). Nostalgia as meaning re-establishment strategy against boredom.Accepted for European Social Cognition Network (ESCON2) Transfer of Knowledge Conference, Sligo, Ireland.

Van Tilburg, W. A.. P., Igou, E. R., & Sedikides, S. (2011, July). Nostalgia as meaning re-establishment strategy against boredom. Accepted for European Association of Social Psychology (EASP) Conference, Stockholm, Sweden.

Van Tilburg, W. A. P., Igou, E. R. (2011, July). On boredom and social-identity: A meaning-regulation approach. Accepted for International Society for Self and Identity(ISSI) Preconference at EASP, Stockholm, Sweden.

Igou, E. R., & Van Tilburg, W. A.. P. (2011, May). Establishing and re-establishing meaningfulness: Some cognitive and self-regulatory processes. European Social Cognition Network (ESCON) Expert Meeting, University of Limerick, Ireland.

Van Tilburg, W. A. P., & Igou, E. R. (2011, May). Prosocial consequences of boredom: A pragmatic meaning-regulation approach. British Psychological Society General Meeting (BPS), Glasgow, UK.

Van Tilburg, W. A. P., & Igou, E. R. (2011, April). Boredom affects group-related judgments: A pragmatic meaning-regulation approach. Conference of Social Psychology in Ireland (C-SPI), Limerick, Ireland.

Van Tilburg, W. A. P. (2011, February). An introduction to mediation techniques: Practical concerns and common methods. Invited Talk for the Social Cognition and Decision Making Lab, University of Limerick, Ireland.

Van Tilburg, W. A. P., Igou, E. R., & Sedikides, C. (2010, November). Why boredom promotes prosocial behavior, social identity, and nostalgia: A pragmatic meaning-regulation approach. Invited Talk in Psychology Research Colloquium, University of Limerick, Ireland.

Van Tilburg, W. A. P., & Igou, E. R. (2010, January). On the regulation of personal meaninglessness: Pro-social consequences of boredom. Society for Personality and Social Psychology Conference (SPSP), Las Vegas, NV.

Van Tilburg, W. A. P., & Igou, E. R. (2009, August). On the regulation of personal meaninglessness: Boredom and loneliness promote charity support. Transfer of Knowledge Conference, European Social Cognition Network 2 (ESCON-2), Warsaw, Poland.

Van Tilburg, W. A. P., & Igou, E. R. (2009, July). Beyond mortality salience: The roles of existential threat and life salience. International Society of Political Psychology Conference (ISPP), Dublin, Ireland.

Van Tilburg, W. A. P., & Igou, E. R. (2009, June). On the regulation of personal meaninglessness: Pro-social consequences of boredom. University of Limerick Education and Health Sciences Research Forum, Limerick, Ireland.

Van Tilburg, W. A. P., & Igou, E. R. (2009, May). What do people consider as meaningful behaviour? Evidence for a self-regulatory perspective. Conference of Social Psychology in Ireland (C-SPI), Limerick, Ireland.

Van Tilburg, W. A. P., & Igou, E. R. (2009, May). On the regulation of personal meaninglessness: Boredom and loneliness promote charity support. Conference of Social Psychology in Ireland (C-SPI), Limerick, Ireland.

Van Tilburg, W. A. P., & Igou, E. R. (2009, April). Regulation of meaning in everyday life: Boredom and loneliness promote charity support. Midwestern Psychology Association meeting (MPA), Chicago, IL.

Van Tilburg, W. A. P., & Igou, E. R. (2009, March). Regulation of meaning in everyday life: Turning anti-social consequences of boredom into pro-social acts. Limerick Regeneration Research Conference, Ireland.

Igou, E. R., & Van Tilburg, W. A.. P. (2008, July). On the dialectics of life and death: When life and mortality salience lead to worldview defense. Southampton Symposium on Self and Identity, Southampton, England.

Van Tilburg, W. A. P., & Igou, E. R. (2007, May). Beyond mortality salience: The roles of existential threat and life salience. Midwestern Psychology Association Meeting (MPA), Chicago, IL.