We are an interdisciplinary and challenge-driven research group.
Our group thrives on an interdisciplinary and challenge-driven ethos, ensuring that our theories, approaches, and methods are purposefully aligned. We aim to understand and inform solutions that address crucial aspects of human perception and behavior in response to significant societal challenges, such as intergroup conflicts, diseases, and climate change. In tackling these issues, we are open to any theoretical and methodological approaches that serve the purpose. To share knowledge and skills most effectively, we strive to learn from each other and contribute to each other’s growth. We prioritize research excellence and are committed to research well grounded in theory and impactful for society.
We celebrate diversity and are committed to inclusivity.
We recognize and value the multifaceted nature of identity, including but not limited to disabilities, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, ethnicity, and all other aspects that people perceive as important facets of their identity. We believe that the diversity of identities within our team is a source of strength, fueling innovation and excellence. We strive to create an environment where every member feels safe, valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique insights and talents. At the same time, we unequivocally reject any form of harassment, discrimination, or violence, be it physical or psychological. Inclusivity is not just a principle for us; it is a cornerstone of our success. This manifests in the life of our research group in the following ways:
- Interpersonal interactions: We acknowledge that we may have different experiences in and outside academia, potentially invisible to others. We value empathy, perspective-taking, respect, and direct communication. Part of this is to recognize the importance of openly listening to and believing others’ experiences.
- Working environment: We are aware that with different identities come different needs, either in terms of the physical space or the structure of work. From making adjustments to working spaces to flexibility in working hours and locations, we take the necessary steps to ensure everyone has the best possible working conditions necessary to realize their full potential.
- Research practices: We believe that listening to others, taking different perspectives, and being aware of the limitations to our own perspectives are core elements of high-quality research. Therefore, we strive to educate ourselves continually to gain new insights and perspectives in terms of experiences, theories, and methods.
- Different contributions to the working group: We are aware that our individual and collective success relies on the joint efforts and contributions by all team members, including administrative staff, junior and senior researchers, and student assistants. We value each of these contributions equally and treat all team members as equally important. Additionally, we acknowledge that our members contribute to the working group, the university, and the public good in various ways based on their functions, preferences, and capabilities. Since some of these contributions can go unnoticed (such as some academic service work), we strive to make them visible to each other. We are interested in who contributes to the common good in which ways and, when such tasks must be distributed or assigned within the group, we aim to cultivate a fair and equal distribution.
We are committed to open, transparent, and inclusive science.
We embrace open-science values and advocate for open-science practices. That is, we strive to make our research transparent, reproducible, replicable, and generalizable. This entails active adoption of practices such as pre-registration and openness to scrutiny and criticism. We also embrace opportunities to collaborate and acknowledge the importance of properly assigning credits where they are due.
At the same time, we recognize that what specific practices can be adopted depends on the research methods, data sources, and ethical considerations. We focus on supporting each other in making research as open, transparent, reproducible, and generalizable as it can be. We understand that open-science activities may be carried out by researchers with less experience in this regard. To ensure a safe environment to develop such skills, we actively guide each other on how to practice open science.
We have an open-feedback and error-positive culture.
Curiosity drives our collective pursuit of knowledge and growth. We are dedicated to creating an environment where members feel encouraged to openly ask questions, seek answers, and continually expand their horizonts. We embrace a culture of learning. We value the exchange of ideas and mutual learning. We are open to different perspectives as long as they align with the principle of human dignity and autonomy. We believe that hones feedback and constructive criticism are essential for personal and collective growth. We encourage open and honest dialogue, and aim to foster an atmosphere where team members can voice their opinions and concerns without fear of judgement. Mistakes are viewed as valuable learning opportunities, and we embrace them as a means to improve. We talk openly about out mistakes to learn and develop collectively. We support each other in correcting and learning from mistakes, emphasizing collaboration over individual perfection.
We care about our own and our fellow team members' well being.
We understand that maintaining a healthy balance between work and other areas of our lives, practicing self-care, and prioritizing mental and physical health are not just individual endeavors but collective responsibilities. We care for each other, not just as colleagues, but as friends and allies. We foster an environment where team members support each other through challenges and celebrate each others’ achievements. This extends into life in our research group in the following ways:
- Rest is productive and valuable; we encourage regular breaks (and we value our break time together for exchanges; for example, we aim to eat lunch together every day).
- We recognize that different types of tasks and conditions cause more or less stress for different people; we therefore practice open communication about mental and physical health so that we can support each other as needed.
- We provide guidance for ways of dealing with academic pressures that build resilience, such that team members can all flourish in the long term.
