Angelos Kassianos- The impact of using patient-simulation training to tackle cognitive and visual biases and Diagnostic Decision-Making in Medical Students: lessons learnt and future directions
Aslı Göncü Köse- Effects of Dark Personalities on Social Perceptions
to EFPSA’s 39th Annual Congress in Antalya!
We’re excited to share the scientific line-up for this year’s Congress, centred around the theme of “Perception” The Scientific Programme brings together leading researchers and professionals from across Europe, offering diverse insights into how we perceive, interpret, and understand the world around us.
Our speakers:
Professor Micheal Bach – Illusions which are misnamed as illusions
Michael Bach is a neuroscientist known for his work on visual perception and optical illusions. He created a popular website where he shares many illusions with short explanations- you should definitely check out.
In this talk, he will focus on illusions that only seem like illusions — but actually, they are not. These are effects that happen naturally in our brain. This shows how our brain can be misled by simple patterns, even when nothing is actually changing.
Professor Aslı Göncü Köse – Effects of Dark Personalities on Social Perceptions
Prof. Dr. Aslı Göncü Köse is a social psychologist. After completing her undergraduate degree in Psychology at Middle East Technical University in 2004, along with a minor in Management Studies from the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, she earned her M.A. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Koç University in 2006, and her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from METU in 2011.
At this congress, she will present her research exploring the effects of Dark Triad personality traits—narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy—on social perception. Her work investigates how these traits influence individuals’ interpretations of leadership, trust, and interpersonal dynamics in both organizational and digital settings.
Professor Fatih Bayraktar – Revisiting Positive Illusions; Adaptive or Problematic!
Fatih Bayraktar is a psychologist , currently working at Eastern Mediterranean University. His research focuses on developmental psychology, with particular interest in adolescents’ digital media use, psychological well-being, and internet-related behaviors.
At this congress, he will lead a roundtable discussion exploring how cognitive and perceptual differences can shape the way individuals understand concepts in positive psychology.
Professor Hulusi Kafalıgönül – The Illusion of Perceptual Stability: How Our Brain Makes Sense of a Dynamic Multi Sensory World
Hulusi Kafalıgönül is a researcher at NÖROM –Neuroscience And Neurotechnology Center Of Excellence– and an expert in perception and cognitive neuroscience. His work focuses on how the brain processes and integrates sensory information to build a coherent view of the world.
In his keynote session, he will explore how our brain creates the experience of a stable reality, even though our sensory input is constantly changing. This talk will shed light on the mechanisms of perceptual integration and the brain’s role in constructing conscious experience.
Associate Professor Gustav Kuhn – What can conjuring tell us about cognition? The future of the Science of Magic
Gustav Kuhn is a leading researcher in the field of cognitive psychology and the founder of the Science of Magic Lab. His work explores how magic and illusion can be used as tools to study attention, perception, and consciousness.
In his talk, he will discuss how techniques used by magicians reveal important insights into how the mind works. This talk will highlight the growing field of the Science of Magic and its potential to uncover the hidden mechanisms of human cognition.
Assistant Professor John Francis Leader – About Social Perception in his expertise
John Francis Leader (JFL) is an Irish psychologist and cognitive scientist at University College Dublin. His work explores the intersection of psychology, technology, and experiential learning. He develops mixed reality therapy tools to make mental health support more immersive and engaging, and shares his insights through #bodymindself and international trainings.
Assistant Professor Amanda Clinton
Assistant Professor Angelos Kassianos – The impact of using patient-simulation training to tackle cognitive and visual biases and Diagnostic Decision-Making in Medical Students: lessons learnt and future directions
Angelos Kassianos is a Lecturer in Health Psychology at the Cyprus University of Technology. He is also a Visiting Professor at Riga Stradins University and the University of Cambridge, and an Honorary Fellow at UCL. His work focuses on behaviour change, health education, and clinical decision-making.
In his talk, he will present how patient-simulation training can reduce cognitive and visual biases in medical students, helping them make better diagnostic decisions. He will also share lessons learned and future directions for medical education.
Assistant Professor Maria Marga Veldhuizen- Illusions in taste and smell perception and a surprise cake
Maria Marga Veldhuizen is a faculty member at Mersin University, specializing in sensory perception — particularly how we experience taste and smell.
In her talk, she will explore how our expectations, memories, and context can alter what we perceive. With engaging examples — including a surprise cake — she will demonstrate how the brain constructs flavour through multisensory integration.
Assistant Professor Cumhur Avcil – Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Perceptual Distortions: Restructuring Reality
Cumhur Avcil is a clinical psychologist at Antalya Bilim University, specializing in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and mental health. His research focuses on cognitive distortions and how they influence perception.
In his talk, titled “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Perceptual Distortions: Restructuring Reality”, he will discuss how CBT techniques can help individuals recognize and reshape distorted thoughts, supporting a more accurate and adaptive view of reality.
Assistant Professor Emel Erdoğdu – Tracking Attention: a Window into Perception.
Emel Erdoğdu is a cognitive psychologist at Işık University (Türkiye), where she also serves as the Head of the Psychology and Clinical Psychology Department. She conducts research on cognitive functions such as attention and perception, particularly in the context of neurodegenerative diseases.
In her talk, she will discuss how attention shapes what we perceive, and how eye-tracking technology helps reveal the underlying cognitive processes.
Assistant Professor Robert Ian Bowers – Cognitive Ecology of Mate Choice
Robert Ian Bowers studies behaviour and cognition within ecological contexts, focusing particularly on feeding and mate choice. His research combines conditioning techniques, cognitive modelling, and simulations of evolutionary processes.
his talk, he will discuss how cognitive mechanisms and ecological factors together shape mating behaviour, offering insights into the broader dynamics of behavioural systems.
Assistant Professor Zahide Pamir – Using Illusions in Visual Perception Studies
Zahide Pamir is a faculty member in the Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience at Bilkent University. Her research focuses on visual perception, neuroplasticity, and how context shapes the processing of visual information.
In her talk, titled “Using Illusions in Visual Perception Studies”, she will explore how visual illusions can be used to study the mechanisms of visual processing. She will discuss how illusions help reveal the role of context in perception and contribute to our understanding of visual functioning
Assistant Professor Alper Açık – Cognitive Psychological Approaches to Perceptual Illusions
Alper Açık is a cognitive psychologist at Özyeğin University. His research focuses on visual perception, attention, and phenomenology, exploring how cognitive processes shape conscious experience through interdisciplinary approaches that blend psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy.
In this roundtable session, he will lead a phenomenological discussion on how perceptual illusions can offer insights into the subjective nature of perception. The session will explore the boundaries of visual awareness and the role of cognition in shaping what we experience as real.
Assistant Professor Nihan Alp – Perceptual Organization and Illusions: Bridging Behavioral
Phenomena with Neural Signatures.
Nihan Alp is a cognitive neuroscientist whose work focuses on perceptual organization, visual illusions, and their underlying neural mechanisms. Her research integrates behavioral methods with neuroimaging techniques to better understand how the brain constructs coherent perceptual experiences from fragmented sensory input.
In her talk, she will discuss how illusions can be used to investigate the link between perception and brain activity. The talk will highlight how behavioral observations and neural data together reveal the dynamic processes behind perceptual organization.
Emrullah Ecer, PhD – The effects of attachment insecurities on social anxiety through empathy
Emrullah Ecer is a Ph.D. candidate in Psychology at SWPS University in Wroclaw. His research focuses on the neurobiology of attachment, autobiographical memory, and executive functions.
In his talk, he will explore how insecure attachment styles can lead to increased social anxiety, and how empathy plays a mediating role in this relationship. The talk will offer insights into the emotional and cognitive mechanisms underlying social difficulties.
Łukasz Piotr Stecko, PhD –
Łukasz Piotr Stecko recently completed his PhD in Psychology and teaches developmental psychology, biological bases of behavior, and identity psychology. His research focuses on sociocultural aspects of identity, psychological well-being, and attitudes toward globalization. He is also training in CBT and integrates mindfulness and personal development into his academic work.
In his research project, “Let’s Dive into ADHD!”, he explores how national and cultural differences affect perceptions and diagnoses of ADHD in Europe. The project aims to investigate both diagnosed ADHD and pseudo-ADHD symptoms, offering a cross-cultural perspective on one of the most debated topics in child and adult mental health.
Scientific Committee Members that helped out in this process:
Haticenur Canoğlu
Burcu Füngür
Merve Altuncu
Pelinsu Ensari
Şimal Aleyna Hız
We look forward to welcoming you in Antalya at the end of this month!
