Projects

From tension to relief: Humor as a therapeutic tool in professional coaching
Humor is a powerful social tool and also plays a role in professional contexts such as therapy, mentorship, and coaching. Many coaches use humor spontaneously, but its psychological effects remain underexplored in academic research. It is also rarely addressed in coach education, training programs, or professional guidelines. As a result, coaches often lack the tools to use humor intentionally and effectively in their practice. To address this gap, PhD candidate and coach Adélka Vendl is researching the psychological mechanisms behind the use of humor in coaching. Together with Dr. Cristina Alvarado-Alvarez and Professor Martin Euwema, we form her supervisory team. Our shared aim is to develop both scientific insights and practical tools for coaches who wish to integrate humor consciously into their work. In doing so, we hope to contribute to a deeper understanding and more responsible use of humor as a therapeutic tool in professional coaching.

Flirting with humor: A scientific swipe
This project explores the role of humor in romantic attraction among singles aged 40 and over, as part of the ‘Swipefestival’ organized by Kasper van Kooten. Previous research shows that nearly all dating singles are looking for a partner with a good sense of humor. But what does that really mean? And is it the same for everyone, regardless of cultural background or life stage? The goal of this research is not just to study singles, but to actively involve them in the process. Participants take part in group-based tests and receive immediate insights into their own preferences and reactions. In an interactive session, we discuss the initial findings and gather feedback from participants to refine the study further. The aim: to gain new scientific insights into the role of humor in love, and to strengthen public engagement with the research itself. This project is made possible by support from Utrecht University’s Public Engagement Seed Fund.

ARTIS-Planetarium: Promoting sustainable behavior
At ARTIS-Planetarium, shows are presented that provide the audience an astronaut’s view on Earth: the small delicate planet we live on, surrounded by endless space. This experience can make people aware of the beauty and vulnerability of our planet, and give them renewed motivation to protect the fragile ecosystems on Earth. But which images and stories most effectively stimulate motivations and behavioral change of visitors? Can this unique experience impact on their daily choices, after they leave the Planetarium? We explore these questions in this research collaboration with ARTIS-Planetarium. In this project, we focus on psychological mechanisms like hope, action perspectives, group processes and social norms (‘Isn’t it too late?’, ‘Will my contribution matter?’, ‘What can I do?’, 'Will others do that too?’). In 2023, three PhD students and one postdoc will start on this theme.

IMPACTLAB
IMPACTLAB is a collaboration between Utrecht University and Leiden University funded by the National Science Agenda (NWA). We conduct research on measuring impact in science communication. We investigate which factors contribute to the impact of science communication and how best to measure impact. You can read our first publication about that here. Besides our research, we are also engaged in the development of practical tools and instruments that simplify the systematic measurement of impact. For example, we have developed a basic instrument and toolbox to help you develop your own impact measurement. In addition to the tools on this website, you can also contact us for personal advice and workshops.

Defeating Chronic Pain
Defeating Chronic Pain is a collaborative research project between the universities of Utrecht, Eindhoven, and Wageningen, and UMC Utrecht. Our interdisciplinary team - consisting of a linguist, psychologist, neurobiologist, immunologist, anesthesiologist, engineer, veterinarian, behavioral and molecular scientist - combines knowledge and skills to understand chronic pain. We use the metaphor of a mixing console to facilitate our discussions on chronic pain and to create awareness for this major problem. Recently, we uncovered subgroups of chronic pain patients that might benefit from different treatment strategies, and we are setting up techniques to visualize and measure pain. Currently, we are creating a platform connecting knowledge, experts and patients to defeat chronic pain.

Open Science - Public Engagement Research Fellowship
Within the Utrecht Open Science Program, we work together to make scientific research more reliable, sustainable and relevant. With the public engagement fellows in Utrecht, we focus on open communication and collaboration between scientists, citizens and civil society. We conduct research into the success factors and social impact of co-creation with social partners, provide training in science communication and stakeholder engagement. Our publication on the importance of public engagement in realizing the goals of open science can be found here.

Film intervention: Utrecht, dat zijn we samen
In this project, together with the City of Utrecht, we research the solidarity between different social groups in Utrecht, such as former Utrechters, students and migrants. We developed a film intervention in which the groups play a game and gradually find out how much they have in common. The intervention was based on social psychological theory on reducing prejudice and embodied cognition. Before, during and after the intervention, participants reported their opinions about their own group and other groups. We also examined the impact of seeing the video on prejudice and belonging. The film we made can be viewed here. The publication we wrote about this research can be found here.