Four BSS Researchers Awarded NWO Open Competition XS Grant

Four researchers from the Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences have recently been awarded an NWO Open Competition XS grant. This grant is designed to support small-scale, innovative, and socially relevant research projects. The funded projects cover a diverse range of topics: from family conflict to democratic citizenship, and from  societal reconciliation to brain stimulation.

What does it feel like to be disinherited?
Sociologist Marieke van Gerner-Haan investigates how disinherited adult children cope with the emotional, social, and legal consequences of disinheritance. While existing research often focuses on the motives of the person who disinherits, Van Gerner-Haan shifts the focus to the experiences of the disinherited themselves. Through qualitative interviews and network visualisations, she aims to better understand how disinheritance affects family ties and the sense of justice among those involved.

Experiencing democracy through VR
Education scientist Tim Huijgen explores how Virtual Reality can help strengthen students' democratic attitudes. In the 'Laboratory for Democracy', students from different educational levels jointly experience a VR simulation about daily life in the former GDR. The impact of this experience on their attitudes, reflections, and interactions is carefully analysed.

When does an apology really work?
Social psychologist Yasin Koc investigates when and how apologies between groups contribute to reconciliation and social cohesion. Rather than focusing on official government apologies, he examines everyday apologies between individuals. Through fieldwork and interviews in three contexts — the Dutch debate on Zwarte Piet, tensions between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, and the Windrush scandal in the UK — he explores what makes an apology credible and when it is perceived as meaningful.

Lasting effects of brain stimulation?
Neuroscientist Miles Wischnewski studies the durability of brainwave changes following Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS), a technique that influences brain activity. By measuring brain activity immediately before and after stimulation, he aims to determine whether these effects persist and what they reveal about neural plasticity. This fundamental research is crucial for developing effective brain stimulation interventions for neurological and psychiatric disorders.