Asst. Prof. Berna A. Uzundağ (Principal Investigator)
Dr. Uzundağ completed her undergraduate and master’s studies in Computer Engineering (2009) and Cognitive Science (2013) at Boğaziçi University, and received her Ph.D. in Psychology from Koç University in 2018. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Özyeğin University and the director of the Child and Family Research Lab. Her research focuses on infancy and early childhood, examining the development of skills such as self-regulation, attention, and language, as well as how these developmental processes are related to factors such as parenting behaviors, parent-child interactions, and screen media use.
Web site: http://www.bernaarslanuzundag.com
Nursena Koç is a Ph.D. student and research assistant at the Child and Family Research Lab at Kadir Has University. She completed her undergraduate degree in Guidance and Psychological Counselling at Boğaziçi University, followed by a master’s degree in Psychology at Kadir Has University. She is currently continuing her doctoral studies in the same field. Her research and interests are focused on socio-cognitive development during infancy and early childhood, particularly on the role of parent-child interactions in the development of theory of mind and joint attention skills.
Asena Sayın is a graduate student in the Department of Psychology at Kadir Has University. She completed her undergraduate degree in the Department of Psychology at METU. Her research interests include protective and risk factors in early childhood and the effects of these factors on children’s social, cognitive and academic development. At the same time, the joint effects of parent and teacher behaviors on these factors and children’s developmental processes are among her areas of interest.
Demetsu Zelal Er, is a graduate student in the Psychology Department at Kadir Has University. She completed her undergraduate studies in Psychology at Özyeğin University. During and after her undergraduate education, she gained internship and work experience in various hospitals, schools, NGOs, and laboratories. Her areas of interest include the impact of screen media use on parent-child interaction, theory of mind, and language development.
Gülnihal Başpınar is currently pursuing her graduate studies in the Department of Psychology at Kadir Has University. She obtained her undergraduate degree in the Department of Psychology from Boğaziçi University. Gülnihal’s research interests primarily revolve around preschool children’s visual attention skills, screen usage patterns, and communication development within digital environments.
Özce Sıvış is an accomplished graduate with honors from MEF University’s PDR and Psychology departments. Currently, she is pursuing her graduate studies at Kadir Has University in the Department of Psychology. Throughout her undergraduate years, Özce actively contributed as a research assistant in various university laboratories and gained practical experience as an intern in psychological counseling services within school settings. Her academic interests encompass several significant areas, including language and communication development in early childhood and infancy. Additionally, she delves into social-emotional development, with a particular focus on moral development during early childhood.
Sueda Buğur completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology at Boğaziçi University. She is a psychology graduate student at Kadir Has University Child and Family Research Laboratory. Her research interests include children’s screen media use, social and emotional development, self-regulation skills, executive functions, and parenting styles.
Elif Ayça Yiğit, KHAS Department of Psychology, Undergraduate student
Our Former M.A. Students
Ezgi Yıldız
Thesis Title: Children’s referential communication skills: The role of early joint attention and caregivers’ language input and feedback (2021)
Gizem Akel
Thesis Title: Young children’s emotion regulation skills: The role of mothers’ parenting stress and reactions to children’s emotions (2023)
Nursena Koç
Thesis Title: From mind to mind: Understanding the role of mothers in the theory of mind development of children (2023)
Şüheda Nur Erdoğan
Thesis Title: Touchscreen use and its relation to attention development in young children (2023)
Dilara Özalp
Thesis Title: The Role of Socioeconomic Status and Maternal Behaviors in Infant Exploration (2025)
Alumni
Ahmet Mete Durmuş, KHAS Department of Psychology (STAR scholarship recipient)
Ardakaan Sönmez, KHAS Department of Psychology (Koç University Psychology PhD student)
Asya Kabadayı, Boğaziçi University, Department of Psychology (Bilgi University Clinical Psychology MSc student)
Ayşe İrem Küçük, Istanbul University Department of Psychology (Boğaziçi University Psychology Master’s student) (TÜBİTAK scholarship recipient)
Başak Sayım, KHAS Department of Psychology (Izmir University of Economics Experimental Psychology MSc student)
Büşra Burçak Ferah, KHAS Department of Psychology (Ruhr University Clinical Psychology MSc student)
Büşra Gözde Köşe, KHAS Department of Psychology (STAR scholarship recipient)
Ceyda Katı, KHAS Department of Psychology
Dilara Böke, Graduate of Bilgi University, Department of Psychology
Dilara Keşşafoğlu, KHAS Department of Psychology (PhD Candidate at the University of Louisville)
Duygu Narin, Üsküdar University, Department of Psychology (Ankara Social Sciences University Clinical Psychology Master’s student)
Ece Bulut, University of British Columbia, Department of Psychology
Ecem Mutlu, Boğaziçi University, Learning Sciences PhD student
Elif Erbin, Istanbul University, Department of Psychology
Elif Sabuncuoğlu, Bahçeşehir University, Department of Psychology
Esra Akkaya, Istanbul University, Department of Psychology
Fatma Betül Şahin, Boğaziçi University, Department of Psychology
Fatma Memici, KHAS, Communication Sciences
Fatma Nur Etili, KHAS Department of Psychology, Undergraduate student
Günce Uğur, Boğaziçi University, Department of Psychology, Graduate student
Hüseyin Ünlü, Graduate of Boğaziçi University, Department of Psychology (STAR scholarship recipient)
Irmak Kalkan, Yeditepe University Psychology Department
İlayda Ulubaş, Marmara University, Department of Psychology
İlke Nur Güven, Boğaziçi University, Department of Psychology (TÜBİTAK scholarship recipient; Master’s student at Radboud University)
İrem Güngördü, Istanbul University, Psychological Counseling and Guidance Department
Makbule Özer, KHAS Department of Psychology (Ruhr University Cognitive Science Master’s student)
Melike Filiz, Graduate of KHAS Department of Psychology (STAR scholarship recipient)
Merve Nur Altundal, M.A. Graduate of Özyeğin University
Meryem Altuntaş, Medipol University, Child Development
Nihal Çiftçi, Istanbul University, Psychology Department (Okan University Clinical Psychology MSc student)
Oylum Savlak, Boğaziçi University, Foreign Languages Education English Language Education
Öznur Karahan, Akdeniz University Psychology Department (STAR scholarship recipient)
Rümeysa Erdoğdu, METU Developmental Psychology and Cognitive Science Master’s student
Rümeysa Fatma Çetin, Boğaziçi University, Department of Psychology (TÜBİTAK Scholarship recipient)
Simge Ece Erer, Özyeğin University, Department of Psychology
Sinem Ünüvar, Maltepe University Clinical Psychology/Body Psychotherapy Certified MA student
Tuğçe Solak Gürcan, KHAS Department of Psychology
Yaren Selin Acar, KHAS Department of Psychology
Yasemin Seran Özyurt, Graduate of Marmara University, Department of Psychology
Zeynep Betül Yücesoy, Boğaziçi University, Department of Psychology (Koç University Clinical Psychology MSc student)