Psychology

Brain research in Rwanda: How do intergroup biases between former perpetrators and victims evolve after the genocide against Tutsi?

Emilie Caspar

Nearly 30 years ago, Rwanda went through a particularly brutal genocide perpetrated against Tutsis. The perpetrators were mainly regular citizens: colleagues, neighbours, family members… Today, both perpetrators and victims live side-by-side peacefully. But in a post-genocide society, can intergroup biases be ever reduced between individuals?

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Suicide prevention game nominated for Belgian Game Awards

Silver

April 2021 saw the launch of Silver – a serious game with the aim of helping young people learn about mental health. Now, just a few months later, the game has been nominated for the Belgian Game Awards. We reflect on the journey so far, and discuss the next steps with Eva De Jaegere, who helped develop and do research for Silver.

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Already giving up on those New Year’s Resolutions? This is how to keep them

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To do a bit more sport, to eat a healthier diet and to try to put a bit more money aside. There is a good chance that you made some sort of list of good resolutions on 1st January this year, but that already, that list has become little more than a statement of good intentions. That’s not unusual, according to Professor Emelien Lauwerier. But the good news is that it’s still not too late to pick it up again, simply by adjusting your approach.

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Laura Sels seeks the secret to a successful relationship

Laura Sels

For Laura Sels, not a day goes past without talking about relationships. You could call her a romantic, although she doesn’t necessarily believe in the ‘one and only’. She spends a little too much time looking at things from a research perspective for that: after all, as a postdoc, she is studying emotional processes in romantic relationships. “I can spend hours philosophising and thinking about them. I am also keen to actually help couples in the future.”

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Top International Researchers Settle in Ghent

Louisa Bogaerts

At only 32, cognitive psychologist Louisa Bogaerts has already made significant inroads within the international scientific community. She has conducted research in three different parts of the world and now brings her experience back to where her career began, Ghent University.

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Behavior as the key to overcoming the crisis: the Ghent University motivation barometer

Coronacrisis

Since the beginning of the first lockdown, Ghent University has been gauging how and why we comply with the rules. Meanwhile, the motivation barometer has become a unique behavioral study with unprecedented social relevance. “We provide scientifically substantiated policy advice to support our motivation drivers,” says Professor Maarten Vansteenkiste, the driving force behind the study.

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