Thomas Haarklau Kleppestø
About
Research interests
My research interests span a wide array of topics in psychological science, yet they are interconnected by an interest in the origin, evolution, and consequences of individual differences in psychological traits.
Sadness
I am currently investigating the emotion sadness: its affective and cognitive characteristics, its evolutionary purpose—if any—and the mechanisms that can transform sadness into clinical depression.
Political psychology
In the domain of political psychology my work is focused on investigating whether humans posess inherent political and moral inclinations and the causes of variation in authoritarian traits and political attitudes. I am also currently working on researcing the psychological underpinnings of why humans engage in intergroup warfare.
Mating psychology
Another key research interest is the psychology of human mating. For example, I examine the attractiveness of psychological traits and the dynamics of assortative mating.
Collaboration
I encourage researchers and students that share an interest in these topics to get in touch if you want to collaborate.
Core interests summarized:
· Personality: Investigating the structure of non-cognitive traits, their origins, and real-life impact.
· Behavior Genetics: Investigating the genetic and non-genetic influences on trait-variation.
· Evolutionary psychology. What is the set of all human psychological adaptations and how do they work?
· Political psychology: The nature of political and moral traits, and the psychological underpinnings of political attitudes and behaviors, including war.
· Intelligence: How does human intelligence work, how did it evolve, and what generates individual differences in it?
· Evolutionary psychopathology: Examining why mental disorders exist. How can psychological adaptations make some humans vulnerable to mental disorders?
· Mating psychology: Examining the psychological mechanisms underlying mate selection and romantic relationships from an evolutionary perspective.
· Psychometrics and Quantitative Methodology: Developing and refining methods for measuring psychological phenomena, in order to improve accuracy, reliability, and validity in psychological measurement and assessment.
· Epistemology: I am interested in the philosophy of how knowledge grows. In my view, this is best explained by «evolutionary epistemology» and is severely underutilized in psychological science.
Publications
2024
-
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau;
Czajkowski, Nikolai Olavi;
Sheehy-Skeffington, Jennifer;
Vassend, Olav Mandt;
Røysamb, Espen;
Eftedal, Nikolai Haahjem.
(2024)
The genetic underpinnings of right-wing authoritarianism and social dominance orientation explain political attitudes beyond Big Five personality.
Journal of Personality
Academic article
-
Sunde, Hans Fredrik;
Eftedal, Nikolai Haahjem;
Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie;
Corfield, Elizabeth Claire;
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau;
Seierstad, Anne Caroline.
(2024)
Genetic similarity between relatives provides evidence on the presence and history of assortative mating.
Nature Communications
Academic article
2023
-
Nordmo, Magnus;
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau;
Sunde, Hans Fredrik;
Flatø, Martin;
Demange, Perline;
Torvik, Fartein Ask.
(2023)
Author Correction: The association between parental internalizing disorders and child school performance (npj Science of Learning, (2023), 8, 1, (34), 10.1038/s41539-023-00182-x).
npj Science of learning
Errata
-
Nordmo, Magnus;
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau;
Sunde, Hans Fredrik;
Flatø, Martin;
Demange, Perline;
Torvik, Fartein Ask.
(2023)
The association between parental internalizing disorders and child school performance.
npj Science of learning
Academic article
-
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau;
Eilertsen, Espen Moen;
van Bergen, Elsje;
Sunde, Hans Fredrik;
Zietsch, Brendan;
Nordmo, Magnus.
(2023)
Intergenerational transmission of ADHD behaviors: Genetic and environmental pathways.
Psychological Medicine
Academic article
2022
-
Sunde, Hans Fredrik;
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau;
Gustavson, Kristin;
Nordmo, Magnus;
Reme, Bjørn-Atle;
Torvik, Fartein Ask.
(2022)
The ADHD deficit in school performance across sex and parental education: A prospective sibling‐comparison register study of 344,152 Norwegian adolescents.
JCPP Advances
Academic article
-
Eftedal, Nikolai Haahjem;
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau;
Czajkowski, Nikolai Olavi;
Sheehy-Skeffington, Jennifer;
Røysamb, Espen;
Vassend, Olav Mandt.
(2022)
Justice sensitivity is undergirded by separate heritable motivations to be morally principled and opportunistic.
Scientific Reports
Academic article
2021
-
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau;
Eilertsen, Espen Moen;
van Bergen, Elsje;
Zeitsch, Brendan;
Sunde, Hans Fredrik;
Nordmo, Magnus.
(2021)
Intergenerational Transmission of ADHD: More Evidence for Heritability than Fast Life History.
Behavior Genetics
Abstract
2019
-
Ulset, Vidar;
Czajkowski, Nikolai Olavi;
Kraft, Brage;
Kraft, Pål;
Wikenius, Ellen;
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau.
(2019)
Are unpopular children more likely to get sick? Longitudinal links between popularity and infectious diseases in early childhood
.
PLOS ONE
Academic article
-
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau;
Czajkowski, Nikolai Olavi;
Vassend, Olav;
Røysamb, Espen;
Eftedal, Nikolai Haahjem;
Sheehy-Skeffington, Jennifer.
(2019)
Correlations between social dominance orientation and political attitudes reflect common genetic underpinnings.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Academic article
-
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau.
(2019)
Intelligence.
Springer
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
-
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau;
Eftedal, Nikolai Haahjem;
Thomsen, Lotte.
(2019)
Social Dominance Orientation(SDO).
Springer
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
2017
-
Kennair, Leif Edward Ottesen;
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau;
Jørgensen, Bjørn Emil Gloppen;
Larsen, Simen Mjøen.
(2017)
Evolutionary Clinical Psychology.
Springer
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
-
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau;
Kennair, Leif Edward Ottesen;
Jørgensen, Bjørn Emil Gloppen;
Borgan, Kristina;
Larsen, Simen Mjøen.
(2017)
Depression.
Springer
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
-
Kennair, Leif Edward Ottesen;
Haarklau Kleppestø, Thomas;
Larsen, Simen Mjøen;
Jørgensen, Bjørn Emil Gloppen.
(2017)
Depression: Is Rumination Really Adaptive?.
Springer
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
-
Kennair, Leif Edward Ottesen;
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau.
(2017)
Social Anxiety.
Springer
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
2016
-
Larsen, Simen Mjøen;
Haarklau Kleppestø, Thomas;
Buss, David M.;
Kennair, Leif Edward Ottesen.
(2016)
Repetitive thinking in a normal population: reponse to negative events.
HBES - Human Behavior and evolution society - 28th Annual Meeting - Conference programme and Book of Abstracts
Abstract
-
Kennair, Leif Edward Ottesen;
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau.
(2016)
Hva er psykopatologi?.
Gyldendal Akademisk
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Journal publications
-
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau;
Czajkowski, Nikolai Olavi;
Sheehy-Skeffington, Jennifer;
Vassend, Olav Mandt;
Røysamb, Espen;
Eftedal, Nikolai Haahjem.
(2024)
The genetic underpinnings of right-wing authoritarianism and social dominance orientation explain political attitudes beyond Big Five personality.
Journal of Personality
Academic article
-
Sunde, Hans Fredrik;
Eftedal, Nikolai Haahjem;
Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie;
Corfield, Elizabeth Claire;
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau;
Seierstad, Anne Caroline.
(2024)
Genetic similarity between relatives provides evidence on the presence and history of assortative mating.
Nature Communications
Academic article
-
Nordmo, Magnus;
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau;
Sunde, Hans Fredrik;
Flatø, Martin;
Demange, Perline;
Torvik, Fartein Ask.
(2023)
Author Correction: The association between parental internalizing disorders and child school performance (npj Science of Learning, (2023), 8, 1, (34), 10.1038/s41539-023-00182-x).
npj Science of learning
Errata
-
Nordmo, Magnus;
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau;
Sunde, Hans Fredrik;
Flatø, Martin;
Demange, Perline;
Torvik, Fartein Ask.
(2023)
The association between parental internalizing disorders and child school performance.
npj Science of learning
Academic article
-
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau;
Eilertsen, Espen Moen;
van Bergen, Elsje;
Sunde, Hans Fredrik;
Zietsch, Brendan;
Nordmo, Magnus.
(2023)
Intergenerational transmission of ADHD behaviors: Genetic and environmental pathways.
Psychological Medicine
Academic article
-
Sunde, Hans Fredrik;
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau;
Gustavson, Kristin;
Nordmo, Magnus;
Reme, Bjørn-Atle;
Torvik, Fartein Ask.
(2022)
The ADHD deficit in school performance across sex and parental education: A prospective sibling‐comparison register study of 344,152 Norwegian adolescents.
JCPP Advances
Academic article
-
Eftedal, Nikolai Haahjem;
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau;
Czajkowski, Nikolai Olavi;
Sheehy-Skeffington, Jennifer;
Røysamb, Espen;
Vassend, Olav Mandt.
(2022)
Justice sensitivity is undergirded by separate heritable motivations to be morally principled and opportunistic.
Scientific Reports
Academic article
-
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau;
Eilertsen, Espen Moen;
van Bergen, Elsje;
Zeitsch, Brendan;
Sunde, Hans Fredrik;
Nordmo, Magnus.
(2021)
Intergenerational Transmission of ADHD: More Evidence for Heritability than Fast Life History.
Behavior Genetics
Abstract
-
Ulset, Vidar;
Czajkowski, Nikolai Olavi;
Kraft, Brage;
Kraft, Pål;
Wikenius, Ellen;
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau.
(2019)
Are unpopular children more likely to get sick? Longitudinal links between popularity and infectious diseases in early childhood
.
PLOS ONE
Academic article
-
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau;
Czajkowski, Nikolai Olavi;
Vassend, Olav;
Røysamb, Espen;
Eftedal, Nikolai Haahjem;
Sheehy-Skeffington, Jennifer.
(2019)
Correlations between social dominance orientation and political attitudes reflect common genetic underpinnings.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Academic article
-
Larsen, Simen Mjøen;
Haarklau Kleppestø, Thomas;
Buss, David M.;
Kennair, Leif Edward Ottesen.
(2016)
Repetitive thinking in a normal population: reponse to negative events.
HBES - Human Behavior and evolution society - 28th Annual Meeting - Conference programme and Book of Abstracts
Abstract
Part of book/report
-
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau.
(2019)
Intelligence.
Springer
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
-
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau;
Eftedal, Nikolai Haahjem;
Thomsen, Lotte.
(2019)
Social Dominance Orientation(SDO).
Springer
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
-
Kennair, Leif Edward Ottesen;
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau;
Jørgensen, Bjørn Emil Gloppen;
Larsen, Simen Mjøen.
(2017)
Evolutionary Clinical Psychology.
Springer
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
-
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau;
Kennair, Leif Edward Ottesen;
Jørgensen, Bjørn Emil Gloppen;
Borgan, Kristina;
Larsen, Simen Mjøen.
(2017)
Depression.
Springer
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
-
Kennair, Leif Edward Ottesen;
Haarklau Kleppestø, Thomas;
Larsen, Simen Mjøen;
Jørgensen, Bjørn Emil Gloppen.
(2017)
Depression: Is Rumination Really Adaptive?.
Springer
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
-
Kennair, Leif Edward Ottesen;
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau.
(2017)
Social Anxiety.
Springer
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
-
Kennair, Leif Edward Ottesen;
Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau.
(2016)
Hva er psykopatologi?.
Gyldendal Akademisk
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Teaching
Courses
Knowledge Transfer
2023
-
Academic lectureEftedal, Nikolai Haahjem; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Sunde, Hans Fredrik; Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau; Ystrøm, Eivind; Czajkowski, Nikolai Olavi. (2023) Correlations on Norwegian national standardized tests between millions of pairs of relatives: Exploring the impacts of assortative mating and parental effects. Behavior Genetics Association 53rd Annual Meeting 2023-06-21 - 2023-06-24
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Academic lectureSunde, Hans Fredrik; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Kinge, Jonas Minet; Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau; Nordmo, Magnus; Caspi, Avshalom. (2023) Parental income and mental disorders from age 10 to 35: A genetically informative population study. NTNU Norwegian Social and Community Psychology Conference 2023 , Trondheim 2023-04-27 - 2023-11-28
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Academic lectureSunde, Hans Fredrik; Eftedal, Nikolai Haahjem; Gillespie Cheesman, Rosa Catherine; Corfield, Elizabeth Claire; Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau; Seierstad, Anne Caroline. (2023) Assortative mating increases genetic similarity among distant relatives: evidence from polygenic scores. Behavior Genetics Association The 2023 annual meeting of the Behavior Genetics Association , Murcia, Spania 2023-06-21 - 2023-06-24
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Academic lectureSunde, Hans Fredrik; Eftedal, Nikolai Haahjem; Gillespie Cheesman, Rosa Catherine; Corfield, Elizabeth Claire; Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau; Seierstad, Anne Caroline. (2023) Assortative mating strongly increases genetic similarity between distant relatives. Centre for Fertility and Health CeFH Annual Symposium , Oslo 2023-11-15 - 2023-11-16
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Academic lectureSunde, Hans Fredrik; Eftedal, Nikolai Haahjem; Gillespie Cheesman, Rosa Catherine; Corfield, Elizabeth Claire; Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau; Seierstad, Anne Caroline. (2023) Genetic similarity between relatives provides evidence on the presence and history of assortative mating. Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research BIOSFER Seminar , Rostock, Tyskland 2023-09-20 - 2023-09-22
2021
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Academic lectureKleppestø, Thomas Haarklau; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; van Bergen, Elsje; Zeitsch, Brendan; Sunde, Hans Fredrik; Nordmo, Magnus. (2021) Intergenerational Transmission of ADHD: More Evidence for Heritability than Fast Life History. Behavior Genetics Association Behavior Genetics Association 51st Annual Meeting 2021-06-29 - 2021-06-29
2019
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Academic lectureEftedal, Nikolai Haahjem; Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau; Røysamb, Espen; Vassend, Olav; Ystrøm, Eivind; Thomsen, Lotte. (2019) Moral opportunism: A unique genetic grounding associates lesser guilt from perpetrating injustice with greater sensitivity to being the victim of it. Human Behaviour and Evolution Society , Boston 2019-06-05 - 2019-06-11
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Academic lectureKleppestø, Thomas Haarklau; Czajkowski, Nikolai Olavi; Vassend, Olav; Røysamb, Espen; Eftedal, Nikolai Haahjem; Kunst, Jonas R.. (2019) Social dominance orientation has both genetic and unique environmental influences, but only genetic pleiotropy accounts for its correlation with political attitudes. Human Behaviour and Evolution Society , Boston 2019-06-05 - 2019-06-11
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InterviewKennair, Leif Edward Ottesen; Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau; Blomster, Johanna Katarina; Bøckman, Petter. (2019) Hvorfor er vi mer opptatt av om noen så at vi gikk på trynet enn om det gjorde vondt?. Forskning.no Forskning.no [Internet] 2019-08-31
2016
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Academic lectureLarsen, Simen Mjøen; Haarklau Kleppestø, Thomas; Buss, David M.; Kennair, Leif Edward Ottesen. (2016) Repetitive thinking in a normal population: response to negative events. HBES - Human Behavior and Evolution Society - 28th annual Meeting 2016-06-29 - 2016-07-02