Nelli Hankonen

I am professor of social psychology and director of the Behaviour Change and Wellbeing research group. My 
research focuses on motivation, behaviour change, interaction and behavioural public policy. I have led several 
intervention research projects with mixed-methods development and evaluation designs, as well as projects 
with systematic review, meta-analytical and expert consensus methodologies. Recent years have focused on 
taking a new paradigmatic lens – that of complex systems – on behaviour change science. 

Understanding and Changing Human Behaviour for Better Lives

I am fascinated by one of the most fundamental questions in the social and behavioural sciences: how can we understand and influence human behaviour, in groups and communities, in ways that improve individual and societal well-being?

For over twenty years, I have studied behaviour and behaviour change across a wide range of contexts, including health promotion, physical activity, nutrition, work motivation, professional communication, and the development of psychologically safe social environments. While these topics may appear diverse, they are united by a common theme: how people make choices, interact with others, and create sustainable patterns of behaviour in their everyday lives.

Social psychology has generated profound insights into human behaviour. Yet, far too little of this knowledge has found its way into the practices, policies, and systems that shape people's lives. I believe that behavioural and social sciences have enormous untapped potential to contribute to healthier, fairer, and more effective societies.

At the same time, the flow of knowledge should not be one-way. Some of the most exciting scientific challenges arise when researchers engage with real-world problems. Efforts to change behaviour, organizations, and social systems push us to develop stronger theories, more innovative methodologies, and a deeper understanding of human complexity. This is why I have built my career around intervention research, working at the interface between science and practice.

Together with my research group and our partners, I currently explore questions such as:

• How can we build more human-centred public services and public administration?
• How can education and learning environments better support psychological and physical well-being?
• How can health and well-being be promoted more effectively in settings such as healthcare, schools, and the military?
• How do people develop, sustain, and transform their interaction and communication habits? 
• How can organizations create conditions that foster motivation, collaboration, and psychological safety?

Alongside these substantive questions, I am deeply interested in methodological and theoretical challenges. My work has focused on intervention development, process and mixed-methods evaluation, behaviour change techniques and mechanisms of action, and the integration of complexity science with behaviour change science. I am particularly interested in developing approaches that help bridge the gap between rigorous science and meaningful impact.

Ultimately, my goal is simple: to produce research that advances scientific understanding while helping people, organizations, and societies thrive.

If you are interested in collaboration, I would be delighted to hear from you.

• Sosiaalipsykologian oppialavastaava 2022-
• Yhteiskuntatutkimuksen yksikön johtoryhmän jäsen 2022-2026
• Psykoterapiakoulutuksen johtoryhmän jäsen 2021-
• Behaviour Change & Wellbeing -tutkimusryhmän johtaja 2012-
• Vastuuopettaja opintojaksoissa Hyvinvointi ja käyttäytymisen muutos (Sosiaalipsykologian maisteriopinnot), Pro gradu -seminaari, Jatkokoulutusseminaari

My research interests include the following topics:

• Motivational interaction: Changing motivational behaviours of professionals
• Behaviour change science
• Agentic change processes: Self-enactable behaviour change techniques
• Intervention development & fidelity
• Innovative intervention process evaluation methodologies
• Behavioural public policy
• Emerging connections between complexity science and behaviour change science

Olen toiminut useissa luottamustehtävissä niin akateemisessa maailmassa kuin muualla yhteiskunnassa, mm.

2026 Liira - Osaamisen vahvistamisen työryhmä, Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriö

2023- KETTU - Käyttäytymistieteellinen ennakointi ja tieto tulevaisuuden hallinnossa. Kehittämisryhmän jäsen. Julkaisuja, mm. Hankonen, N. et al. (2023). Käyttäytymistiedon hyödyntäminen liikunnan edistämisessä. Julkaisussa KETTU (2023). Hallitusohjelman tarkastelu käyttäytymistiedon näkökulmasta. Tutkitun tiedon ja kokeilujen hyödyntäminen tavoitteiden saavuttamisessa. 3/2023.

2020-2022 Käyttäytymistieteellinen neuvonanto, Valtioneuvoston kanslia.

2017-20 Helsinki liikkuu -ohjelman ohjausryhmän jäsen
 

2002-2006 Helsingin yliopisto (Tutkimusavustaja, suunnittelija)

2006-2011 Kansanterveyslaitos (Tutkija); Terveyden ja hyvinvoinnin laitos (Erikoistutkija)

2012-2014 Helsingin yliopisto (Tutkijatohtori)

2012-13 University of Cambridge, UK (Visiting Research Fellow)

2014-2017 Tampereen yliopisto (Yliopistonlehtori, Akatemiatutkija)

2017-2021 Helsingin yliopisto (Apulaisprofessori)

2018 University College London, Centre for Behavior Change, UK (Visiting Scholar)

2021- Tampereen yliopisto (Professori)

Lisäksi olen opettanut useissa eri organisaatioissa vuosien aikana:

Helsingin Kauppakorkeakoulu / Aalto-yliopisto (vuosina 2004-2014 Johtamistaitojen sosiaalipsykologiaa; Social Psychology of Leadership Contexts and Skills); Helsingin yliopiston Avoin yliopisto; Valmennuskeskus; Työväen akatemia, Eduhouse, jne.

Hankonen, N. (2021) Participants’ enactment of behavior change techniques: A call for increased focus on what people do to manage their motivation and behaviour. Health Psychology Review 15 (2), 185-194.

Martela, F., Hankonen, N., Vansteenkiste, M. & Ryan, R. (2021) Fostering Voluntary Compliance for Effective Emergency Response and Sustainable Crisis Management: Principles for Motivating Communication of Behavioural Restrictions and Guidelines Based on Self-Determination Theory. European Review of Social Psychology 32 (2), 305-347. https://doi.org/10.1080/10463283.2020.1857082 

Hagger, M., Cameron, L., Hankonen, N., Hamilton, K., & Lintunen, T. (Eds.) (2020). The Handbook of Behaviour Change. Cambridge University Press. 

Renko, E., Knittle, K. P., Palsola, M., Lintunen, T., & Hankonen, N. (2020) Acceptability, reach and implementation of a training intervention to enhance teachers' skills in physical activity promotion. BMC Public Health, 20, 1568. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09653-x 

Knittle, K., Heino, M. T. J., Marques, M., Stenius, M., Beattie, M., Ehbrecht, F., Hagger, M. S., Hankonen, N. (2020) The compendium of self-enactable techniques to change and self-manage motivation and behaviour (v1. 0). Nature Human Behaviour. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-019-0798-9 

Kostamo, K., Jallinoja, P., Vesala, K, Araujo-Soares, V Sniehotta, F., Hankonen, N. (2019) Using the critical incident technique for qualitative process evaluation of interventions: The example of the "Let's Move It" trial. Social Science & Medicine 232, 389-397. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.05.014 

Seppälä, T., Hankonen, N., Korkiakangas, E., & Ruusuvuori, J. (2017). National policies for the promotion of physical activity and healthy nutrition in the workplace context: a Behaviour Change Wheel guided content analysis of policy papers in Finland. BMC Public Health, 18(1), 87. doi: 10.1186/s12889-017-4574-3

Stenius, M., Hankonen, N., Haukkala, A., & Ravaja, N. (2016). Why share expertise? A closer look at the quality of motivation to share or withhold knowledge. Journal of Knowledge Management, 20(2), 181-198.

Hankonen, N., Sutton, S., Prevost, A. T., Simmons, R. K., Griffin, S. J., Kinmonth, A. L., & Hardeman, W. (2015). Which behavior change techniques are associated with changes in physical activity, diet and body mass index in people with recently diagnosed diabetes? Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 49(1), 7-17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-014-9624-9 

Hankonen, N., Absetz, P., Kinnunen, M., Haukkala, A. & Jallinoja, P. (2013). Toward identifying a broader range of social cognitive determinants of dietary intentions and behaviour. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 5(1), 118-35. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1758-0854.2012.01081.x