Meet the Team
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Eftychia is an assistant professor of social psychology at the University of Amsterdam and founder of the AARTSS lab. She is passionate about mixing art and social sciences in her research, often in partnership with cultural institutions, such as Google Arts & Culture, Carnegie Hall, and NEMO Science Museum.
She explores how art challenges societal norms and transforms cultural perspectives. She examines responses to norm-violating art, the suppression of unconventional content due to socio-cultural factors, the expression and impact of gender bias in art, and how art shapes children's social and moral development.
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Rohan Dunham is a PhD candidate in Social Psychology at the University of Amsterdam under the supervision of Dr. Eftychia Stamkou and Prof. Dr. Gerben van Kleef. Before turning to Psychology, he studied classical ballet at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague and was a professional ballet dancer at the Zürich Ballet in Switzerland and then the Dutch National Ballet in The Netherlands.
After his career as a dancer, he read Psychology at the University of Amsterdam where he obtained a BSc. (Hons.) and then a Research MSc. in Social and Work & Organizational Psychology (both awarded cum laude). His interests include the social impact of art, cross-cultural psychology, the psychological impact of social power, and (destructive) leadership.
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Paul holds an MSc in Computer Science with a focus on Artificial Intelligence Technologies from Delft University of Technology, and a BSc in Computer Science from the Technical University of Graz. At the AARTSS Lab, he conducts research exploring how gender typicality influences the success of movies. Paul's broader research interests lie in using data-driven approaches to better understand societal, cultural, and environmental dynamics.
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Görkem is a Research Master’s student in Psychology at the University of Amsterdam. He completed his BA in Psychology, with a minor in Sociology, at the University of British Columbia. At the AARTSS lab, Görkem investigates the emergence and expression of self-transcendent emotions, particularly awe, in early childhood. His broader research interests encompass art perception, self-transcendence, meaning-making, and abstract thinking. He is especially interested in the intersection of psychology, literary arts, and artificial intelligence.
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Till is a postgraduate research associate at Yale University. He completed a MSc. (Research) in Social and Organizational Psychology at the University of Amsterdam and BSc in PPLE (Politics, Psychology, Law, and Economics) with a minor in data science. Till has a broad range of interests including how cultural differences, our perceptions of social norms, and the effects of power affect our decision making. Beyond that, he is interested in how we can use behavioral science to better uplift marginalized people in our society. In the AARTSS lab, he studies whether culture influences the success of movies that break gender norms and stereotypes.
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Thekla is a psychology master’s student at the University of Amsterdam, specialising in Brain and Cognition. She earned her BSc (cum laude) from Amsterdam University College, where she majored in cognition with minors in marketing and computational communication. Thekla is drawn to the intersection of psychology, communication, and art. At the AARTSS lab, she explores shared art experiences between parents and children, focusing on their impact on relationships and well-being.
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Berkan is a Research Master’s student in Psychology at the University of Amsterdam, specializing in Social Psychology and Brain and Cognition. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Mannheim, Germany.
His research at the AARTSS lab focuses on the presence of awe in early childhood. His academic interests include awe, self-transcendence, meaning, and consciousness. He is particularly drawn to questions at the intersection of psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy, emphasizing their conceptual foundations.
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Yağmur Özbay is a PhD candidate in Social Psychology at the University of Amsterdam under the supervision of Dr. Eftychia Stamkou and Dr. Suzanne Oosterwijk. She completed her BA degrees in Psychology and Sociology, with a minor in Media and Visual Arts, and her MA in Cognitive Psychology at Koc University, Istanbul.
She is interested in the social ramifications of art, from micro-level effects of art engagement on social-cognitive abilities and interpersonal attitudes, to its macro-level implications on sociocultural systems. Currently, she explores if and how art engagement can facilitate social-cognitive abilities, and transform interpersonal processes and interactions.
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Selina has earned an MSc. in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Amsterdam, specializing in the intersection of AI and art. At the AARTSS lab, she examines the portrayal and representation of women in visual art. Her research interests include the challenges of capturing nuanced, context-rich information from the artistic domain in AI systems and exploring how such technologies can deepen our understanding of art.
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Sophie is a master’s student in the Entertainment Communication track at the University of Amsterdam. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in clinical psychology, completed at Maastricht University and Erasmus University Rotterdam, respectively. Her interests lie in the intersection of entertainment media and psychology.
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Anya is doing a Master’s in Cognitive Science at the University of Amsterdam. She graduated with a BSc. in Politics, Psychology, Law, and Economics from the University of Amsterdam, with a minor in Brain and Mind from the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam. She aspires to research the experience of art and ways in which art can influence cognition. Moreover, she is interested in the impact of culture on art perception and the overall interaction between art, culture, and cognition.
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Alina has completed an MSc in Social Influence at the University of Amsterdam and a BA (cum laude) at Amsterdam University College, majoring in Social Sciences with a focus on social psychology. At the AARTSS lab, she is involved in research investigating the emergence and expression of the emotion of awe in early childhood. Alina‘s broader interests are understanding human behaviour, specifically in relation to emotions and attitudes, as well as the intersection between psychology and communication.
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Matteo is an MSc. Artificial Intelligence graduate from the University of Amsterdam, with a broad interest in applying AI across diverse fields such as healthcare, logistics, and cultural heritage. At the AARTSS Lab, he leverages AI techniques to study the depiction of gender in visual art, aiming to uncover patterns and insights that connect artistic representation with societal gender norms.