HANS IJZERMAN

Researcher-in-training

Research Interests:

Richard Nisbett recently wrote a popular book on how cultures think differently, and why? The latter in particular is an issue I attempt to further in my research.

Having been exposed to different cultures in the Netherlands combined with my curiosity for language has led to my interest in cultural syndromes. The broad education I received via the research master at VU University has consequently led to recognition of the significance of embodied components of culture and the situated nature of the cultural mind. In my current research, supervised by Prof. Dr. Gün Semin and Dr. Dov Cohen, I stab at understanding aforementioned cultural syndromes by examining the role of sensorimotor experiences and environment. Originally theorized by Diamond (1997) and his ideas of geographical influences on human behavior, we address embodied components by investigating the role of posture (cf. Bourdieu, 1977) and physical proximity (cf. Hsu, 1953) in cultural values, thought processes, and language.

In addition, a final personal interest of mine is how social psychology can be functional for non-scientists. For further information, consult In-Mind.

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Vita: (pdf)

Publications:

IJzerman, H. & Semin, G. R. (in press). The Thermometer of Social Relations: Mapping Social Proximity on Temperature. Psychological Science, (pdf)

IJzerman, H., & Van Prooijen, J. W. (2008). A just world and the emotional defense of self. Social Psychology, 39, 117 - 120.

IJzerman, H., Van Dijk, W. W., & Gallucci, M. (2007). A bumpy train ride: A field experiment on insult, honor, and emotional response. Emotion, 7, 869 – 875.

Presentations:

IJzerman, H. (February, 2009). O termômetro das relações sociais: Mapeando proximidade social na temperatura. Invited Presentation at Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo, Brazil.

IJzerman, H. (February, 2009). Culturally situated cognition. Invited Presentation at Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, PA.

IJzerman, H. (February, 2009). Culturally situated cognition. Invited Presentation at University of Rochester, NY.

IJzerman, H. & Semin, G. R. (February, 2009). The thermometer of social relations:Mapping social proximity on temperature. Poster Presentation at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Tampa, FL, USA.**

IJzerman, H., & Semin, G. R. (December, 2009). De relatiethermometer: Het gronden van sociale nabijheid in temperatuur.  Presentation at the ASPO Congress, Amsterdam, 2008. Accepted for publication in Dutch Yearbook of Social Psychology, 2008.

IJzerman, H., & Semin, G. R. (September, 2008). The thermometer of social relations:Mapping social proximity on temperature. Presentation at the Transfer of Knowledge Conference of the European Social Cognition Network.*

IJzerman, H., & Cohen. D. (July, 2008). Embodiment in honor cultures. Invited Presentation at the Embodiment Symposium at the International Conference of Psychology, Berlin.

IJzerman, H., & Cohen. D. (June, 2008). The hard embodiment of culture: The body as physical interface for honor. Symposium Presentation at the General Meeting of the European Association for Experimental Social Psychology, Opatija, Croatia.

IJzerman, H. (June, 2007). How can psychological research and practice benefit from one another? Invited Speaker at Applied Psychology Symposium at VU University, Amsterdam.

Cohen, D., Lueng, A., & IJzerman, H. (December, 2006). The Embodiment of Moral Systems. International Conference on Cultural Influences on Behavior. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

IJzerman, H. (April 7, 2006). Short Stories in Culture and Emotion. Lecture presented at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

IJzerman, H., Van Dijk, W. W. & Gallucci, M. (December, 2005). Toen wij uit Rotterdam vertrokken ... : Een veldexperiment naar de relatie tussen belediging, emotionele reactie en eercultuur. Presented at the ASPO Congress, Groningen, The Netherlands, 2005.

*This paper was elected runner-up in the European Social Cognition Network’s Best Paper Award.

**This poster was elected for a travel stipend (top 15% posters).