Get to know Gaëtan Mertens

Gaëtan is an IDA supervisor for traineeships, first year paper, and master thesis.

How did your journey in teaching begin, and what keeps you passionate about it today?

I began teaching during the COVID pandemic at Tilburg University (i.e., 2020). I like giving lectures to students about topics that they know something about (e.g., anxiety) and providing new ways to look at such topics (e.g., from the perspective of conditioning theory or evolutionary psychology).

What inspired you to pursue a career in research, and what continues to drive your curiosity?

I wanted to understand the general principles that explain human behavior. And I still do, but it turned out to be substantially more complex than I thought (i.e., behavior is not the result of only simple learning principles). Still, it remains fascinating to try to understand it further.

When you study people and human behavior, what aspects fascinate you the most?

People seem pretty unaware of the ultimate causes of their behavior (e.g., anxiety ultimately helps you to stay alive/protect yourself). With the behavior of researchers, it is fascinating that they often rigidly stick to their favorite theories, which is somewhat odd for a researcher to do.

What do you find most rewarding about being in the classroom with students?

The questions you did not think of yourself.

Looking ahead, what topics or trends in your field are you most excited to explore with students?

Evolutionary psychology & understanding the placebo effect

In your view, what makes IDA students stand out from others you’ve taught or worked with?

IDA students are more focused on research, which inspires more interesting questions and topics.

Can you share a collaborative project with an IDA student that was especially meaningful or exciting to you?

In 2021 I published a paper on COVID fear and resilience with an IDA student (Lisa Vos). By now, it has been cited almost 200 times! That is quite an impressive accomplishment (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2021.113927).

What advice would you give future IDA students who want to make the most of the program?

It’s a cliché, but not less true: Try to pursue what genuinely interest you.

What topics are you currently exploring in your work, and what new areas would you love to dive into in the future?

As mentioned, evolutionary psychology explanations and the placebo effect 🙂. My dream would be to write and integrative review article and/or publish a book about it.

Outside of academia, what do you enjoy doing to recharge or spark creativity? (e.g., hobbies)

Sports, traveling, hiking in nature, seeing friends, and reading. And occasionally drink some beers as well🍺 🙂

Is there anything else you would like to share? This can also be something personal (e.g. a motto).