Overview

Alina's Experience

Hello fellow Research Enthusiasts!

I’m Alina Kaufmann, currently a second year Research Master of Social Psychology student at VU Amsterdam. After graduating from the Psychology Bachelor’s at the UT in 2024, Max and Steven (my thesis supervisors) continued working with me to revise my thesis in order to submit it to a journal for publication. Although the goal of this was of course to publish the thesis, I was not really confident that it was good enough to be published for a long time. Despite this, the article based on my thesis did in fact just get published in Learning and Motivation!! Considering I almost did not try to get it published since I did not think the thesis was that great, I wanted to reflect on some of my thoughts during the process in case this could help anyone in a similar position.

For context, my thesis was a 2x2 mixed design experiment on the effect of a growth mindset and perceived competence on intrinsic motivation. Although one of the secondary hypotheses (regarding the positive association between perceived competence and intrinsic motivation) was supported, we did not find any evidence in favor of the main hypothesis (that a growth mindset intervention would positively influence intrinsic motivation). Although insignificant results are of course also valuable, I was still convinced that this would make it super difficult to publish the results, since I think there is still somewhat of a publication bias for significant results. However, during the publication process, one of the reviewers of the article specifically pointed out that they valued the effort to publish insignificant results and the attention that we drew to them. This was just one of the things that I found super interesting during the publication process.

Apart from this, I also feel like I learned a lot throughout the process in general, and looking back I feel like I still managed to improve my thesis quite a lot as well. As someone interested in research, being able to go through the entire process that it takes to publish a paper from start to finish, including the journal review process which we usually don't get to see during our studies, was super cool to me. Overall, for anyone considering trying to publish their Bachelor or Master's thesis who is passionate about research, I would definitely recommend you to go for it! As long as you have a supervisor willing to support you with it, I would also not be too worried if you have doubts about whether the thesis is good enough to be published (although I know that's easier said than done). In the end, you'll never know unless you try it, and even if it doesn't get published or gets rejected at first, that also does not necessarily mean it's not 'good enough' either, and it might be more about journal fit or something else. Regardless of the outcome, it's still a super valuable learning experience in my opinion.

 Of course, the publication would not have been possible without the incredible support of Max and Steven, so big shoutout to them at this point! If anyone has any questions about my experiences with the publication process or anything else, feel free to send me an email to a.kaufmann@student.vu.nl :) [note from the editor: this email won't work for a whole lot longer after 2026]

Linus' Experience

Hello fellow researchers! My name is Linus, and I am currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology. I joined the Research Enthusiasts Club in 2023 during my second year of my Bachelor’s studies, after completing a research project supervised by Max for Module 7, and have been an active member ever since. My first activity with the Research Enthusiasts was a research project that built upon my Bachelor’s thesis module. Together with four other students also supervised by Max, we summarized our findings in a report, describing our results (or rather, the lack thereof), and submitted it to a peer-reviewed academic journal. About a year later, we successfully published the project. For all of us, this was our first academic publication. Another research project organized entirely through the Research Enthusiasts Club was a literature review examining how natural disasters increase stress in pregnant women and negatively affect early child development. During this project I gained experiences with conducting a systematic literature review, which became very useful during a later research internship during my Master’s programme. A third project we are currently working on bears the unofficial title "Data Archaeology". Other students and I were given an old dataset collected a few years ago as part of a different Master’s project. It focused on how players perceive sexist World of Warcraft avatars. This project is currently undergoing peer review and will hopefully be published soon. Taken together, these projects provided valuable research experience that proved enormously helpful for subsequent formal academic projects, including my bachelor’s and master’s theses as well as my Master’s internship. Moreover, getting to know the publication process of an academic journal and actually publishing one’s own results are excellent ways to take the first steps into the academic world. Thereby, the projects provided a safe environment to expand my research skills, such as data analysis, research synthesis, academic writing, and critical thinking skills, without the pressure of having to receive a grade.

Another interesting activity frequently offered is the peer review of academic papers being considered for publication. Together with Max and other students, I participated in peer-review processes covering a wide range of topics, including a meta-analysis on the effects of caffeine on the performance of e-sports athletes, a VR study on training for visually guided grasping movements (involving reversed visual feedback), and an investigation into how performance impairments and enhancements affect social acceptance. These peer-review projects are always enjoyable, as you get to see the other side of the publication process and exchange ideas with others about exciting research papers.

I also particularly enjoyed the social events organized by Max. For instance, I remember an event towards the end of the academic year where I played games with other students from the Research Enthusiasts Club and took part in a fun psychology trivia, which were also organized by Max. A group dinner to welcome a PhD student from Ireland was another highlight. Such occasions allowed me to network with other students and learn more about their interesting research projects. Other activities are also offered, such as attending conferences or undertaking research internships abroad. These can be very exciting and provide valuable insights into the academic world. However, since I never participated in these myself, I cannot offer an opinion on them.

Max is a very approachable and supportive person who genuinely cares about his students' well-being and fosters their personal and professional growth. You should certainly not hesitate to ask questions about the Research Enthusiasts Club or inquire about joining. All in all, I highly recommend this club to anyone interested in research or simply looking to connect with others. All activities are entirely voluntary and ungraded. They are purely about the joy of research and gaining experience, so there is no conflict with your regular studies, even during stressful exam periods. So, why not drop by and get involved?

Victoria's Experience

Hello fellow Research Enthusiasts!

I'm Victoria, currently a Master's student studying Neuroscience at Humboldt University of Berlin. I met Max during my Bachelor's in Psychology at the University of Twente, where he was my supervisor. What began as a supervised project turned into my first international peer-reviewed publication: a qualitative study on engagement and disengagement in multiplayer Minecraft, published in the International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, looking at what keeps players hooked and what makes them stop, and reframing disengagement as a natural, healthy part of how people play rather than bad game design.

Before that project, research felt like something distant, something "real academics" did, not something I could contribute to. Working with Max showed me otherwise. He gave me genuinely hands-on experience while still guiding me in the right direction, so I was never just executing someone else's plan, but never left to figure everything out alone either. One moment that stuck with me: partway through the project, I was connected with another researcher whose work touched on exactly the area I was examining, and that researcher ended up co-authoring the paper with us. It was a great example of how Max thinks beyond just supervising a project; he actively builds the right network around you.

If you're on the fence about getting involved in research, whether through the Research Enthusiasts Club or a supervised project like mine, my honest advice is to say yes, even if your field doesn't feel like an obvious fit. I didn't come in with a games research background, and I definitely didn't feel like a "real researcher." I just showed up curious and willing to ask questions, including the basic ones. That one project became the foundation for everything that came after, opening doors I wouldn't have known to look for on my own. If the club is there and you're even a little curious, just join. Reach out, get added to the Teams group, and see where it takes you.

I'm genuinely grateful for everything that first project set in motion, and I'm looking forward to continuing research and hopefully crossing paths with more of you in the club along the way.

Victoria (Vi Anh Doan)

Dhai's Experience

During my bachelor’s journey in Scotland, I had the incredible opportunity to intern in the Netherlands under the guidance of Max Friehs. Over eight enriching weeks, I immersed myself in research and learned invaluable skills. This experience not only shaped my academic path but also fueled my passion for research.
When I returned to Scotland, my newfound knowledge and insights led to a first-class dissertation, a milestone that I owe greatly to Max’s mentorship. Grateful for that experience, I reached out to him again, and he welcomed me into the Enthusiastic Club research group. Together, we embarked on a systematic review focusing on tESand ADHD, exploring new dimensions in our field.
Through this collaboration, I discovered a genuine love for research, and my supervisor became a guiding light in my academic journey. I’m deeply thankful for these experiences, and they’ve truly shaped who I am today.

I probably could not have picked a better conference to get a first glimpse of what research in practice looks like. It was a very familiar down-to-earth kind of conference with around 40 people in total. I did feel slightly out of place in the beginning as everyone else was already in the first years of their PhD or post-docs or (assistant-) professors.

But that feeling went away as I started talking to people about their talks and them being genuinely interested in the kind of topics I do during my master in Human Factors Engineering at the UT. The presentations themselves were somewhat challenging to follow on the first day. Mainly because of the different research areas other universities focus on. After the first day I slowly adapted to the speed and complexity of the talks, and it was uphill from there.

It was really fascinating to see outside of the UT’s research bubble and see what kind of contraptions or experiments they were using like a setup to test basketball fake outs or highly specialized Simon tasks to compare different dimensions of stimuli.

Overall, I would highly recommend going there if you are interested in going into research after your studies. It is FREE compared to pretty much all other conferences and you can attend as a student meaning you do not need to present a talk/poster unless you want to. Despite it being a conference of “German” psychologists it is full held in English!

Attending the HexKoP 24 was an exciting and enriching experience. As my first scientific conference, it was far beyond my expectations—in the best way possible. The presenters were not only passionate about their research but also patient and eager to explain every detail about their studies, which I found incredibly helpful, as I mostly did not understand everything right away.

The research presented was highly advanced and quite different from the more applied psychology I’m familiar with at the University of Twente. It focused on fundamental cognitive mechanisms, providing a new perspective on psychology for me. This contrast made the presentations even more captivating.

Most of the participants were either well into their PhDs or had already completed them, making it a valuable opportunity to learn about academic careers and get advice on navigating the world of research. The informal evenings with food and drinks provided a relaxed setting for deeper conversations, both professional and casual. The atmosphere at the conference itself and in the evening felt more like a friendly gathering than a formal conference.

If you ever get the chance to attend HexKoP, I highly recommend it. It offers a unique insight into the world of academia and is an excellent way to connect with passionate researchers while broadening your understanding of psychology.