My research interest covers a wide range of topics from low-level (e.g., memory, attention) to high-level cognitive processes (e.g., complex navigation skills). Through this approach, I aim to advance basic research in experimental psychology further as a cognitive psychologist and make use of this knowledge in more applied areas as an educational psychologist.

Human Spatial Navigation: In this line of research, I investigate individual differences in navigational map-based route learning and aim to enhance competence through tailored instructions and training My work has examined the effects of age, cognitive style, and spatial strategies on navigational performance. Additionally, I have explored how cognitive factors such as perspective-taking ability and working memory capacity influence performance and whether simple instructions can mitigate these effects. Currently, I am working on developing training to enhance egocentric spatial updating during navigation.

Musical Notation Reading:  Research suggests that spaced learning is often more beneficial than massed learning. I investigate whether this principle applies to musical notation learning, where stimuli are highly similar. In one study, I examined the effects of spaced versus massed learning schedules on musical notation acquisition. In this line of research, our overall aim is to develop effective training for musical notation reading.

Memory:  In addition to the aforementioned applied studies, I explore how various factors, such as survival processes, output interference, contextual information, and item properties, influence memory across recall, recognition, and cued-recall paradigms. This research aims to deepen our understanding of memory processes and their practical implications.

In 2018, I obtained a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Middle East Technical University. In the same department, I studied Master of Science in Cognitive Psychology where I also worked as Teaching Assistant for three years. After obtaining an M.Sc. degree in 2022, I started my Ph.D. in the Psychology track at the Center for Doctoral Studies in Social and Behavioral Sciences (CDSS) of the University of Mannheim and joined the Psychology of Education Chair. 

Publications

Fehringer, B.C.O.F., Münzer, S., Dedetas, H. (under review) Perspective Taking Ability is Important in Map Reading for Navigation – unless You Follow the Instruction. Journal of Environmental Psychology

Dedetaş, H. & Kılıç, A. (December 2020). Çağrışım belleği üzerine bir gözden geçirme (A review on association memory). Türk Psikoloji Yazıları, 23(46), 17–28. doi:10.31828/tpy1301996120201001m000023

Neale, D., Clackson, K., Georgieva, S., Dedetas, H., Scarpate, M., Wass, S. & Leong, V. (March, 2018). Toward a Neuroscientific Understanding of Play: A Dimensional Coding Framework for Analyzing Infant–Adult Play Patterns. Front. Psychol. 9(273). doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00273

Conference Presentations

Dedetaş, H. & Münzer, S. (2024, March). The Role of Cognitive Style in Route Learning from Maps. Poster presented at the 66^th TeaP Conference. Regensburg, Germany.

Dedetaş, H. & Münzer, S. (2024, February). The Role of Cognitive Style in Route Learning from Maps. Poster presented at GöMaEr Conference. Bochum, Germany.

Dedetaş, H. & Münzer, S. (2023, November). The Effect of Cognitive Style on Map Reading. Poster presented at Psychonomic Society 64^th Annual Meeting. San Francisco, California, USA

Dedetaş, H. & Kılıç, A. (2023, September). The Joint Effect of Word Frequency and Output Interference in Recognition Memory: Test of a Model Prediction. Poster presented at ESCOP 2023, Porto, Portugal

Dedetaş, H., Yüksel, E. M., & Kılıç, A. (2019, Semptember). Madde özelliklerinin ipuçlu hatırlama üzerine etkisi. V. Experimental and Cognitive Psychology Symposium, İstanbul, Turkey

Dedetaş, H., Yüksel, E. M., & Kılıç, A. (2018, November). Madde özelliklerinin ipuçlu hatırlama üzerine etkisi. 20. National Psychology Congress, Ankara, Turkey.

Dedetaş, H., Candan, Y. Ö. N., Ceylan, E. H., Filiz, G., Yüksel, E. M., Mısırlısoy, M. (2018, November). Bağlam düzeyi uyumluluk oranı (BDUO) etkisi: Tekrar çalışması. 20. National Psychology Congress, Ankara, Turkey.

Yüksel, E. M., Dedetaş, H., Poyraz, E. N. & Kılıç, A. (2017, September). Kelime özelliklerinin ipuçlu hatırlama üzerindeki etkisi. IV. Experimental and Cognitive Psychology Symposium, İzmir, Turkey