Psychology o Science: Resea ch and Policy P ojec s a Eindho en Uni e si y o Technology
academic e alua ion p ocesses. While dis inc in scope and
me hod, all h ee lines o wo k a e g ounded in he ( e-)eme ging
field o he psychology o science. Ac oss hem, we adop a social
sus ainabili y lens - unde s anding academic en i onmen s no
only as si es o knowledge p oduc ion bu also as social ecosys-
ems in which long- e m wellbeing, ai ness, and inclusion a e
essen ial o las ing change. These p ojec s aim o b idge he gap
be ween academic esea ch and ins i u ional policymaking by
ansla ing psychological obse a ions in o ac ionable insigh s.
INTRODUCTIONThis pos e highligh s
he h ee in e ela ed
lines o inqui y ha
oge he eflec a psychological app oach o he s udy o science. Fi s , we exam-
ine how PhD candida es expe ience hei academic en i onmen s, pa icula ly in
ela ion o ca ee decision-making and iden i y o ma ion. Second, we explo e
academic esea ch alues as psychological concep s ha shape esea che s’
beha io s, a i udes, and goals. Thi d, we in es iga e how psychological insigh s
can in o m policy on esea che assessmen , wi h a ocus on he dynamics o
THREE
LINES OF
STUDY
DEFINITIONThe psychology o science, a sub-discipline
o me ascience, is he s udy o scien ific
hough and beha io . I examines how cog-
ni i e, emo ional, and social ac o s influence esea che s and hei wo k. I plays a i al
ole in imp o ing he scien ific en e p ise by add essing challenges such as bias in
esea ch and scien ific misconduc as well as he men al heal h and wellbeing o esea ch-
e s, ecognizing hei impo ance o sus ainable scien ific p ac ice. By analyzing he
in e play be ween esea che s and hei academic en i onmen s, psychologis s can also
con ibu e o b oade discussions on social sus ainabili y in academia.
RESEARCH AND
POLICY PROJECTS
PSYCHOLOGY OF SCIENCE
We in es iga ed PhD candida es’ pe cep ions abou hei esea ch en i onmen a TU/e
and assessed whe he hei pe cep ions a e ela ed o hei ca ee conside a ions. Using
an online su ey ool, we ga he ed sel - epo da a and conduc ed desc ip i e and wi h-
in-subjec co ela ion analysis o he esul s. While mos PhDs expe ience ai e alua ion,
openness, in eg i y, us , and eedom, many epo lack o ime and suppo , insufficien
supe ision, and wi ness ques ionable esea ch p ac ices (QRPs). Spea man co ela ions
indica e ha hose wo king in less heal hy en i onmen s, mo e o en conside lea ing
academia as well as hei PhD. These findings highligh how indi idual ca ee decisions a e
shaped by b oade s uc u al and cul u al condi ions in academia. Unde s anding and
add essing hese condi ions is essen ial o c ea ing socially sus ainable esea ch en i on-
men s whe e in eg i y, inclusion, and wellbeing a e ac i ely suppo ed - no jus expec ed.
This line o inqui y in es iga es academic esea ch alues as psychological cons uc s ha
influence esea che s’ goals, decisions, and in e ac ions. Building on social psychological
heo ies as well as he ou comes o su eys, in e iews, and expe e alua ions, we
explo ed alues in academia: as guiding p inciples, sou ces o mo i a ion, and poin s o
ension. While alues a e implici ly in oked in discussions abou academic quali y, hey
a e a ely discussed in meaning ul ways. By using hem as p ac ical lens o policy, we sup-
po socially sus ainable esea ch en i onmen s - ones ha a e be e equipped o deal
wi h complexi y, disag eemen , and change. Value conflic s connec di ec ly o esea ch-
e assessmen and ca ee s as unde lying easons o s ay in o lea e academia. Discussions
abou hem con ibu es o communi y-building effo s, by p o iding language and s uc-
u e o collec i e eflec ion on wha academic wo k is - o could be - abou .
commi ees o suppo mo e consis en , anspa en , and o wa d-looking e alua ions. To g ound his wo k ins i u ionally, we
a e se ing up a Responsible Resea ch Communi y (RRC/e) a TU/e - an in e disciplina y o um whe e academic and p o essional
s aff, commi ee membe s, and o he decision make s can openly discuss challenges and oppo uni ies ela ed o esea ch
cul u e and academic p og ession. Ul ima ely, his p ojec add esses he deepe ques ion o wha kinds o con ibu ions we wan
o ecognize in science, and how alues-based assessmen p ac ices can help e ain di e se alen and s eng hen he long- e m
sus ainabili y o academic wo k.
This p ojec in es iga es how esea che assessmen p ocesses shape academic ca ee s, wi h a ocus on making ecogni-
ion and ewa ds p ac ices mo e aligned wi h academic bes p ac ices (including bu no limi ed o OS, good supe ision,
exempla y leade ship, and good academic ci izenship in gene al). D awing on obse a ional and in e iew s udies, along-
side psychological heo y, we examine how cu en assessmen p ac ices unc ion in con ex - wha is made isible, wha
is alued, and how his influences esea che s' ca ee s and sense o belonging in academia. We a e de eloping a cu a ed
da abase o bes academic p ac ices and indica o s, as well as pilo ing an in e en ion o p omo ion assessmen
LEAVING ACADEMIA
PhD a i ion and unheal hy esea ch en i onmen s
ACADEMIC RESEARCH VALUES
The alues ha shape esea ch en i onmen s
RECOGNITION AND REWARDS
Fos e ing sus ainable academic ca ee p ac ices h ough policy
Responsible
Resea ch
Communi y
RRC/e
PhD a i ion
up o 60%
~10% in 4 yea s
~60 mon hs a e age
Lea ing
academia
Academic ca ee
assessmen
and p og ess
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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PhD comple ion
PhD s a
Leaky pipeline:
Bad condi ions,
Supe ision challenges,
Value misma ch
>
>
>
Leaky pipeline:
Bad condi ions,
Lack o posi ions,
Value misma ch,
Un ai
assessmen
Limi ed
supe ision /
leade ship
aining and
assessmen
Manda o y
PhD
supe ision
PhD sys em
unchanged
P eca ious wo k
condi ions
Inc eased
isk o
exploi a ion
F agile, unce ain
supe ision sys em
Lack o ime and
o he esou ces
No m:
O e wo ked,
Un(de )paid,
Un(de ) alued
+ Un ecognized
ou pu s
Lack o “ideal”
alues:
T us ,
In eg i y,
Responsible
esea ch
TU/e con ibu o s: And ea Kis | Daniel Lakens | Julma B aa
K is Vaesen | K is ina Ko shuno a | Lisa Idebolo | Wybo Houkes
[email p o ec ed] | and eakis.com | LinkedIn: /kisand ea. Licence: CC BY-NC-ND RRC/e
Responsible Resea ch Communi y Eindho en
