Cognitive Psychology and Ergonomics

MISSION

Ourlab is committed to making science more transparent, diverse & inclusive. Some of our efforts to make this happen are summarized below.

Open Science

Collaboration and exchange of ideas (even those that do not work out in the end) is essential to scientific progress. That is why we make our data, code and results freely available via OSF and Github. Feel free to use our data to ask new questions, but don’t forget to cite us :-) Science is a group effort!

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Despite the fact that scientists often think of themselves as progressive thinkers, there is still a lot of work to do in order to create equal opportunities and inclusive environments for under-represented minorities in science – both in terms of employment opportunities and recognition of their research.

Our lab is committed to help to increase diversity, and foster equity and inclusion both in the classroom and everyday scientific practice through implementing explicit actions towards inclusivity:

1. Creating inclusive work and learning environments
In our lab, we are committed to creating an inclusive atmosphere that welcomes participation by honoring diversity, acknowledging differing points of view and providing accommodations for students with various forms of disabilities and challenging life situations. We implement, for instance, strategies to decolonize our curricula (checklist here) in an attempt to challenge and overturn forms of racialized disadvantage in higher education. A fulfilling work-life balance is important to us, which we account for by encouraging flexible work accommodations.

2. Reducing bias in citation practice
Research has identified biases in citation practices such that papers by women, people of color (PoC) and other under-represented minorities are often under-cited (e.g., Mitchell et al., 2013; Dworkin et al., 2020; Zhou et al., 2020). To increase awareness and work towards rectifying this issue, we implement strategies that reduce biases in citation practices – both in our publications and curricula

3. Providing mentorship for underrepresented minorities in science
Science benefits greatly from a diverse set of voices. In order to make these voices being heard, we offer mentorship to any under-represented minority interested in our research. If you think you could benefit from an informal chat or any other input, please reach out to us.

Outreach

To make science accessible for everyone, it helps to start young. Members of our lab are encouraged to share their science in a fun and engaging way. Whether it be guest lectures, writing for a general audience, or other initiatives.

If you are interested in learning more about these topics, reach out to us and / or check out the following resources: