Psychology Department Brain and Cognition Research Laboratory Opens

Bahçeşehir University has opened the Psychology Department Brain and Cognition Research Laboratory, where, for the first time in Türkiye, students will take part in brain and cognition research integrated with undergraduate education.

The Brain and Cognition Research Laboratory was opened on 13 July 2010. At the opening, Prof. Dr. Canan Ergin, Dean of the Bahçeşehir University Faculty of Arts and Sciences and Head of the Department of Psychology, and Assist. Prof. Dr. Metehan Irak, faculty member of the Department of Psychology, gave a presentation describing the laboratory and the research to be conducted.

The Brain and Cognition Research Laboratory will conduct research on how human cognitive systems such as learning, problem solving, attention and memory work neurobiologically. It will be possible to examine in detail what kind of activity occurs in the brain during such a cognitive process and in which region of the brain this activity is most active.

Delivering the opening speech, Bahçeşehir University President Prof. Dr. Yılmaz Esmer stated that, as a political scientist, he follows psychology-based political research conducted in the US and that he was very excited that the system used in this research had been set up at Bahçeşehir University. President Esmer said, "I hope that studies I will follow with admiration will be carried out. In this laboratory, research can be conducted not only in basic psychology but also in my own field of political science, and we will be able to say, 'here, depending on the message coming from the opposition or the government, this part of the brain is activated and affected; this is the picture of the brain,'" and handed the floor to Prof. Dr. Canan Ergin.

Beginning her speech introducing the laboratory by noting that this technique is also called brain mapping in the literature, Prof. Dr. Canan Ergin explained that psychology is a very broad field with one end rooted in the social sciences and the other in the natural sciences, and that basic research is very important. Ergin concluded her remarks with the words: "Being able to conduct this basic research here at the Bahçeşehir Psychology Department is very important for us, but even more important is that we are integrating such a research infrastructure with education. In research where we observe a person's behavioral process and track these mechanisms in the brain, our students will be directly involved in the process from the second year onward, in areas such as experimental design, data collection and data analysis. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to opening this facility, especially our Chair of the Board of Trustees, Enver Yücel."

Assist. Prof. Dr. Metehan Irak then gave information about the laboratory's technical infrastructure and demonstrated the system with a real participant. Stating that the system consists of highly sophisticated devices sensitive enough to record the slightest activity in the brain, Irak explained that 32 points of the brain are tracked with 32 electrodes placed on the participant's head. The room where the participant sits is also completely insulated with copper so that it is not affected by external factors.

In the system, various stimuli are sent to the participant from a computer screen, and the participant is asked to make choices according to a predetermined strategy that is not disclosed to them. During the process of figuring out this strategy, making decisions and choosing, it is possible to observe in real time which regions of the brain are active and to what extent.

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, Devlet Bahçeli?

In response to a question, Assist. Prof. Dr. Metehan Irak stated that this research system can also be adapted to political research with appropriate research methods. For example, when the participant is shown a photograph of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan or Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, it is possible to observe which regions of their brain are stimulated and what kind of emotional reaction (sympathy, hatred, etc.) it creates. The most important aspect of such research is that it can measure, for example, whether someone who says they like a political figure when asked directly shows negative reactions when that political figure is shown as a stimulus while connected to the system. In other words, the system can find the real answer, not the answer the person thinks they should give for various motivations.

The laboratory will also be able to provide valuable data for communication research. In response to a question about the use of colors in communication, in fields such as advertising and packaging, and the effects of these colors, Irak replied: "Colors can also be shown to the participant as stimuli. It is possible to measure the emotional reactions of the participant exposed to these colors and, based on this, make a scientific choice in the use of colors in communication."

Some examples of projects being conducted or to be conducted in the laboratory:

- When people recall a piece of information, how sure are they of what they remember? Which region of the brain plays a more active role in a decision-making process such as "I am sure I remember" or "I do not remember this"?

- Which regions of the brain are more active when we check whether a piece of information exists in our memory (when we try to remember)?

- How do these cognitive processes work in psychological/psychiatric disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder?

Technical Specifications

The laboratory is equipped with a 32-channel EEG/EP device, similar to the MRI device required for brain mapping, and the necessary software (STIM2 and Curry6 Multi Modal Neuro Imaging Software).

There is also an infrastructure of 32 laptop computers with the software that enables students to design experiments, collect data and analyze data in Experimental Psychology and Cognitive Psychology courses.