Lab Director                                        

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Prof. Dr. Sibel Kazak Berument    

                                Research interests:

    

tel: +90 (312) 210 3184

fax: +90 (312) 210 7975

e-mail: sibel@metu.edu.tr

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Lab Coordinators

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Rana Durmuş,

PhD Student

After graduating from Bilkent University, Department of Psychology in January 2016, I started my master's degree in Developmental Neuroscience at Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine in the same year and graduated in 2019 with my thesis titled "The effect of internalizing and externalizing behavior problems on children's sense of knowing decision". I started my Ph.D. under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Sibel Kazak Berument in the Department of Developmental Psychology at METU in August 2019 and I am still continuing. Since 2019, I have been working as a researcher in the TUBITAK 1003 project titled "The Effects of Parenting Attitudes and Parent-Child Communication Characteristics on Child and Adolescent Development". At the same time, I continue to work as a research assistant in the Department of Psychology at METU.

My research topics are; externalizing behavior problems in children and adolescents, child's temperament, mother's parenting behaviors and parenting beliefs

Ayşenur Özgöztaşı,

PhD Student

I graduated from Middle East Technical University Psychology Department in 2021. Later, I completed my Developmental Psychology master's degree at METU in 2023. Currently, I continue my education as a graduate student of Developmental Psychology at METU. I also work as a Research Assistant in the department.

My academic interests are social-emotional development in children and adolescents, parenting, attachment, parent-child communication, developmental intervention programs, attachment to school.

             

             

           

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Current Lab Members

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Sevinç Akkaya,

Dr. Res. Assist.

I completed my bachelor’s degree in Psychology, my Master degree and PhD in Developmental Psychology at METU. Specifically, in my MS thesis, I examined several risk factors of anger and depressive rumination and temperamental moderators. In my MS years, I worked as project assistant in Longitudinal investigation of the effects of temperament, and care type on the developmental outcomes of infant and children who are under the care of social services" project.

My research interests are developmental psychopathology, socio-emotional development, specifically development of maladaptive coping styles in childhood and adolescence.

             

             

           

Ezgi Aydoğdu Sözen,

PhD Student

I took my bachelor degree from Koç University in 2014. I received my master degree from Developmental Psychology program of same university in 2017. Currently, I continue PhD program of Developmental Psychology at ODTÜ. At the same time, I am working as a research assistant.

I am currently working on a project supported by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) which is titled as “Parental Attitudes toward Child-Rearing” under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Sibel Kazak Berument.

My research interests: school learning motivation, parental beliefs, home literacy environment

             

             

           

Gözde Babaoğlu,

PhD Student

I graduated from Istanbul Sehir University Psychology department in 2015. Then, I completed my M.S. in 2018 with my thesis entitled “Employed Mothers’ Work-Family Conflict and Child Outcomes: Mediating Role of Parenting” under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Sibel Kazak Berument. I have studied the mediating effects of parenting on the association between maternal work-family conflict and children’s behavioral self-regulation and executive functions. Currently, I am a Ph.D. student in Developmental Psychology at METU.

My primary research interest is understanding the effects of parents' employment on parenting behaviors and children’s developmental outcomes.

             

             

           

Beril Kıyak,

PhD Student

I graduated from METU Psychology Department in 2014. Later, I completed my Developmental Psychology master's degree at METU in 2017. My master's thesis was about examining the role of mother's parenting behaviors and child temperament characteristics on children's behavior problems and internalization of rules styles from child and maternal temperamental characteristics supervised. I received my PhD degree from METU developmental psychology program in 2021. My doctorol dissertation was about examining the mediating role of parenting behaviors in the relationship between parenting cognitions and internalization of rules supervised by Prof. Dr. Sibel Kazak Berument.

             

             

           

Bilge Onursal Özer,

PhD Student

I earned my undergraduate degree from Hacettepe University and completed the Industrial and Psychology MS program. After working in various fields for 10 years, I am currently in the Developmental Psychology master's program under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Sibel Kazak Berument.

My main research interests are parenting attitudes and behaviors, temperament and internalizing problems.

             

             

             

           

İlayda Çalışkan,

PhD Student

I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Middle East Technical University Psychology Department in June 2019. Then, I started Developmental Psychology Master’s program in the same department under the supervision of Prof Dr Sibel Kazak Berument in September 2019.

Some of my research interests are parent-child relationships, temperament, theory of mind, emotional and cognitive development.

             

             

             

           

Merve Aydın,

PhD Student

I graduated from Middle East Technical University Psychology Deparment in 2019.In the same year, I started my master's degree at Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University Clinical Psychology Master's Program and graduated in 2022. I am currently a Ph.D student at METU in Developmental Psychology Doctorate Program.

My academic interests include language development in children, temperament and parent-child relationships.

             

             

           

                               

Ayşe Örs,

MS Student

I graduated from the department of psychology at METU in 2021. I am continuing my M.S. education in developmental psychology at METU.

My research interests are developmental psychopathology, parenting styles, temperament and problem behaviors, internalization of rules and coping with peer stress.

             

             

           

                               

Kevser Öztürk,

MS Student

I graduated from the Department of Psychology at Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University in 2021. Currently, I am a master's student in Developmental Psychology at METU.

My research interests are parent-children interactions, children at risk, and intervention programs.

             

             

           

             

             

           

Sarvin Golchin,

MS Student

I graduated from the Psychology Department of the University of Tabriz in 2021, and I decided to further my education in developmental psychology. Currently I am a master’s student in the Middle East Technical University.

I am interested in studying the roles of parenting and child temperamental characteristics in social-emotional processes.

             

             

             

           

Büşra Mankır,

MS Student

I graduated from METU Psychology Department in 2021. Throughout my undergraduate life, I have volunteered in various non-governmental organizations; I completed my internships in institutions such as METU Child and Adolescent Development Laboratory, Provincial Directorate of Family Work and Social Services, and a special education and rehabilitation center. In 2022, I started the METU Developmental Psychology master's program.

My academic interests include well-being and social-emotional development in children in care.

             

             

           

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Previous Lab Members

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Aybegüm Memişoğlu Sanlı,

Asst. Prof.

I graduated from the Middle East Technical University in 2010 with a BS in Psychology. Prior to beginning the M.S. program in Developmental Psychology in the same university, I have worked for the government with children having special needs, and children under governmental protection in group homes, as well as battered women. Currently, I work as an assistant professor at Ankara Medipol University.

                     

                     

           

Elif Anaçali,

MS

I had completed my bachelor of science degree at Middle East Technical University in 2019. The same year, I got accepted to the Developmental Psychology master programme under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Sibel Kazak Berument at METU.

The topics I am interested in are poverty and child development, children at risk, cross-cultural differences of parenting, gender development and intervention studies.

             

             

           

                               

Bengisu Nisa Aras,

PhD Student

I completed my undergraduate degree in psychology at Middle East Technical University in 2019. I earned my master's degree in the Developmental Psychology program at METU. Currently, I am a PhD student at Virginia Tech University.

My academic interests include parenting styles and the impact of parental behavior on development, developmental psychopathology, and emotion regulation skills.

             

             

           

             

           

Zeynep Ertekin,

Asst. Prof.

I earned my undergraduate, master degree and PhD in Psychology at METU. Currently, I work as an assistant professor at Ankara Medipol University. I had been working as research assistant in the longitudinal project funded by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey titled "Turkish Care Type Study" throughout my graduate years.

My research interests are the development of children under the risk; especially children with early adversity such as institutionalized children or children from low SES family environment. As a child outcome, I am interested in the self-development of children. My MS thesis was about the self-development of toddlers who were residing in governmental care types as a part of the “Turkish Care Type Study” supervised by Prof. Sibel Kazak Berument. I am also interested in the effects of early adversity on children’s physiological and neuroendocrine systems, which in turn their cognitive development.

                           

Merve Gölcük,

Asst. Prof.

I earned my undergraduate degree from Hacettepe University in June, 2010 and Master's degree from Middle East Technical University (METU) in January, 2014. My master thesis was about prediction of parenting styles from child and maternal temperamental characteristics supervised by Sibel Kazak Berument. I joined the Developmental Psychology PhD program at METU in September, 2014. Currently, I work as an assistant professor at Antalya Bilim University.

I was involved in the longitudinal project funded by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey titled "Longitudinal investigation of the effects of temperament, and care type on the developmental outcomes of infant and children who are under the care of social services." directed by Sibel Kazak Berument. I was responsible for translating observational temperament tasks into Turkish, training of these tasks to research team, data collection, data entry and analysis.

My research interests are temperament, parenting styles, emotion related socialization behaviors, socio-cognitive development.

                     

          

Hurigül Bayram Gülaçtı,

Asst. Prof.

I earned my undergraduate (2012), MS degree (2014) and Ph.D. in the Department of Psychology at METU. Currently, I work as an assistant professor at Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University.

                     

             

             

           

          

Şükran Okur Ataş, 

Dr. Res. Assist.

I earned my undergraduate degree in Psychology at Bogazici University. Then, I earned an MS degree and a Ph.D. in the Department of Psychology at METU. Currently, I work as a research assistant at Çukurova University.

                     

          

             

             

           

Seren Güneş, 

PhD

Similar to my fellows, I earned my BSc, MS, and PhD from METU Psychology. Currently, I work as a refugee counselor in Germany.

                     

             

             

           

          

Gizem Koç Arık,

Asst. Prof.

I earned my undergraduate degree, MS, and PhD from the Department of Psychology at Middle East Technical University (METU). Currently, I work as an assistant professor at Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University.

                     

          

             

             

           

                                                             

Ayşe Büşra İplikçi,

Asst. Prof.

I earned my undergraduate degree, MS, and PhD degree from the Department of Psychology at Middle East Technical University (METU). Currently, I work as an assistant professor at Akdeniz University.

                     

          

             

             

           

                               

Bahar Bahtiyar Saygan,

Asst. Prof.

I earned my undergraduate degree, MS, and PhD from the Department of Psychology at Middle East Technical University (METU). Currently, I work as an assistant professor at Atılım University.

                     

          

             

             

                               

Yağmur Seyhan İlgün,

PhD Student

I graduated from TOBB University, Department of Psychology in 2018, and earned an MS degree in Developmental Psychology at METU. Currently, I am continuing my PhD in Developmental Psychology program at METU. In addition to my academic work, I work as a monitoring and evaluation assistant at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

                     

          

             

             

           

Zeynep Su Altınöz,

PhD Student

I graduated with a degree in psychology from Middle East Technical University in 2018. I started my master’s degree in Developmental Psychology. Formerly I worked in Prof. Sibel Kazak Berument’s Project regarding the children under the care of social services. Currently I am working on my thesis under the supervision of Prof. Berument.I worked as a project assistant in Prof. Berument's research project regarding the effects of parenting attitudes and parent child interaction on child and adolescent developmental outcomes. My master’s thesis will be a part of this project and it will be about the effects of parental and peer acceptance and rejection on adolescents’ problem behaviors.

My research interests include family dynamics, interparental relationships, parental attitudes and behaviors' effects on development.

                     

          

Yeşim Yavaşlar Doğru,

Asst. Prof., 2015-2017

I earned my BS and MS degree from the Middle East Technical University (METU) Department of Psychology. I earned my Ph.D. from the University of Sheffield. Currently, I work as an assistant professor at Karabük University.

             

             

           

                              

Duygu Taşfiliz,

Asst. Prof. 

I completed my undergraduate degree, MS degree and PhD in Psychology at Middle East Technical University. Currently, I work as an assistant professor at Altınbaş University.

                             

             

             

           

Suzan Ceylan Batur, 

Asst. Prof.

I work as a assistant professor at TOBB University.

                     

                   

             

             

           

Onur Cem Doğru,

Asst. Prof. 

I work as an assitant professor at Afyon Kocatepe University.

                             

             

             

           

 

Gizem Çeviker, 

Dr. Psychologist

                              

             

             

           

Gülsün Ünal, 

Clinical Psychologist

After completing my bachelor in psychology at METU in 2013, I started the MA program in developmental psychology at METU. Since 2013, I have been working for the Sibel Kazak Berument's project supported by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK). My responsibilities are adopting a temperament scale and a problem-solving task for infants. I have also involved in data collection and data entry processes of the project.

Research interests: I am interested in developmental psychopathology in general and for my Master's thesis I am studying how perceived parenting, child temperament and their interaction determine child outcomes among children at preschool age, particularly. I am also interested in the role of shame and guilt proneness in development of internalizing problems.

                     

          

Sema Erel, 

Phd Student

I graduated from the Department of Psychology at Middle East Technical University in 2014. I am currently a second year master student in Developmental Psychology. I have been involved in a project named '' Longitudinal investigation of the effects of temperament, and care type on the developmental outcomes of infant and children who are under the care of social services." which is funded by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey. In this longitudinal project, I took part in back-translation process of observational temperament tasks and I was responsible for data collection of children aged between 2 and 5. I am now concentrating on a new project which focuses on developmental outcomes of children under the care of social services during middle childhood. My thesis will be a part of this project; specifically, I will write my thesis about effects of care types and temperament on academic achievement and peer relationships of children under governmental protection supervised by Sibel Kazak Berument. 

My research interests are psychosocial outcomes of children under risk, child temperament, and clinical child psychology (developmental psychopathology and child assessments).

         

Tuğçe Bakır-Demir,

Post Doctoral Fellow

I graduated with the degree on Psychology from Middle East Technical University (METU). Now, I am a master student in Developmental Psychology at METU. I am currently working on my thesis titled as "The Relationship between Vegetation and Self-Regulation" under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Sibel Kazak Berument. In the current longitudinal project that funded by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey titled as "Longitudinal investigations of the effects of temperament and care type on the developmental outcomes of the infant and children who are under the care of social services", I am responsible from the data collection and control. We are also working on the adaptation of toddler attachment assessment tool, namely TAS45 (Toddler Attachment Sorting 45). We are at the stage of field trials of the Turkish version (TTAS-60) Turkish-Toddler Attachment Sorting.

My research interests: the relationship between nature and children, children at risk, memory development, and self-regulation.

                     

          

Seçil Karakaya Bilir,

Psychologist

I graduated from Middle East Technical University, Department of Psychology in 2015. Now, I am a master student in Developmental Psychology Master's Program in Middle East Technical University. Currently, I have been working for the Sibel Kazak Berument's project of "longitudinal investigations of the effects of temperament and care type on the developmental outcomes of the infant and children who are under the care of social services" supported by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK). In this project, I am responsible for data collection, data entry and control.

My interest areas are mainly on the effect of fast-growing technology and popular media on the social and cognitive development of children by also considering family patterns. I am also interested in socio-cognitive and emotional development of the children.

                     

          

Burcu Tatar Özkum,

PhD Student

I was graduated from Bahçeşehir University Department of Psychology, in June 2015. I Joined the Developmental Psychology MS program at Middle East Technical University (METU) in September 2016. Currently, I am working on my thesis under the supervision of Sibel Kazak Berument.

My research interests are parenting strategies, parental involvement, parenting sense of competence, and children’s usage of electronic media tools

             

             

           

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Undergraduate Students

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2013 Fall	2014 Spring	2014 Fall	2015 Spring
Ceren Su Abacıoğlu  Sevinç Akkaya  Selin Akkol  Ömer Eraslan  Sema Erel  Erdem Ozan Meral  Yeşim Yavaşlar	Sevinç Akkaya  Selin Akkol  Tuğçe Bakır  Birsen Civelek  Deniz Dönmez  Ömer Eraslan  Sema Erel  Berfin Dobrucalı  Kübra Gökhan  Gizem Koç  Ceren Mete  Merve Şimşek  Merve Özger  Ebru Özyiğit  Nilsu Tosun  Gökçe Topuz  Gamze Turunç  Yeşim Yavaşlar	Cevdet Acarsoy  Ezgisu Balcı  Damla Çiftçibaşı  Gülşah Güngör  Sinem Gürçay  Dilara Hasdemir  Berkay Köse  Yağmur Rumeli  Yağmur Saklı	Banu Çiçek Akbaş  Didem Arıkan  Nurcan Cingöz  Özlem Duman  Aysu Işık  Özlem Kıral  Pınar Kocadere  Gizem Şamdan  Büşra Topçu  Büşra Tufan  Selin Uçar  Sümeyra Yalçıntaş  Aylin Yalnız
2015 Fall	2016 Spring	2016 Fall	2017 Spring
Begüm Bilgin  Buket Baykal  Damla Aksen  Deniz Merkit  Dilem Cinli  Elif Usta  Fatma İstanbullu  Gizem Keskin  Mehmet Salduz  Melek Mert  Müge Öztürk  Nihal Gümüştaş  Rafet Ömer Karasu  Sevi Gizem Zeybek  Sezin Aydoğ-Gürkan  Zeynep Nalan Usta	Betül Yücekaya  Büşra Karagöz  Ela Altın (Hacettepe Üni.)  Elif Bürümlü  Fatma Dilvin Abacı  Fatma İstanbullu  Hatice Bürde Küçükdağ  Merve Seven (Hacettepe Üni.)  Neslihan Vural  Nihan Aytav  Nurcan Cingöz  Öykü Ekinci  Saadet Kandaz  Selin Uçar  Sıla Deniz Beyarslan  Sibel Bayır  Sinem Aytaç  Şeyda Zayim (Bilkent Üni.)  Zeynep Nalan Usta	Begum Aydoğan  Beril Kıyak  Ezgi Yıldız  Gülşah Kurt  Kevser Çakmak  Meryem Giden  Merve Buçakçı  Rana Güler  Sinem Çelik  Sinem Eser  Zeynep Su Altınöz	Betül Demiray  Dilara Çavdar  Ecem Geçe  Işıl Çukurova  Rojda Demiray
2017 Fall	2018 Spring	2018 Fall	2019 Spring
Sevgi Yakın Bengisu Nisa Aras İrem Kütük Selma Kocabaş Seray Yiğenler Seda Üstündağ Eda Başoğlu Emine Güleç İlknur Yurtseven Sabriye Pamukçu Esra Karamik Mehlika Tellioğlu	Özge Akkoç  Merve Aydın  Özgün Kanarlıoğlu  Rumeysa Eda Kanık  Mine Semerci  Büşra Canoğlu  Demet Can  Cemrenur Karaaslan	Tuğçe Solakoğlu  Esra Pehlivanlı	Erva Öcal  Beste Anıl Daylan  Yağmur Beste Kaçar  Hande Hakbilen  Ece Sarısaç  Ilgın Atilla  Rabia Yıldırım
2019 Fall	2020 Spring	2016 Fall	2021 Spring
Gülnihal Taşkan Elif İş Ekin Özler	Cansu Yazıcı Yasin Emre Ünal Esra Tamyıldırım İrem Beril Karaçalık Naciye Zülal Aydın Furkan Topaç Enise Damla Atabey Sinem Duygu Kama Merve Şimşek Ayşe Seza Şahin Esra Yavuz İdil Yılmazgil İdil Deniz Şahin Pınar Ayradilli  Ayşe Sürücü Ayten Cerrah Ezgi Deniz Yılmaz Ferhan Kübra Dönmez Feyzanur Yön Kerem Demirtaş Fethiye Kübra Karataş Semiha Çoban Tuba Ekinci Nigar Mine Perşembeoğlu Bedia Burcu Solak Esra Öksüz Zeliha Aykut Esra Kayırmaz İrem Denizaslanı Seda Orpak Eda Nur Yaşar Sinem Aydın	Ece Özkaya Ecemsu Tekin Elif Koç	Sadberk Arpacı Furkan Efe Nazlı Özkoca Ilgaz Emre Zeynep Akbudak Sevilay Arı Seyda Arslan Aslı Canatan Meyra Çakar Berfin Gökkaya Özer Koç Büşra Mankır Berçem Su Ozak Ayse Örs Meryem Özarslan Ayşenur Özgöztaşi Beyza Nur Öztürk Ufuk Rencüzoğulları Bilge Buse Sungar Özlem Tayfur Gülsevim Yolbilmez Sümeyye Afra Göktaş Beyza Gülzehra Ekinci Elif Genç Mahmut Genç Esranur Güzel Didem Saraç Fatih Tayyip Yavuz Emine Zeyrek