[1] After graduating from the Goethe Gymnasium Karlsruhe in 1978 and doing his civilian service in a day-care centre for disabled children from 1978 to 1980, Bohner studied psychology at the University of Heidelberg from 1980 to 1986, when he obtained his diploma, and was awarded his PhD in 1990.
[2] In 1997 he habilitated at the University of Mannheim, holding a temporary professorship in group sociology and social psychology afterwards.
The following year, Bohner held a temporary chair in general and social psychology at the University of Würzburg.
His main research areas include attitudes, social judgement, social influence, marketing and advertising psychology, relations between groups, sexual violence, and sexual harassment.
He was founding editor-in-chief of the academic journal Social Psychology (2007–2010) and editor of the Zeitschrift für Sozialpsychologie (2003–2006).