On September 26th Judith van de Wetering defended her dissertation entitled “Frontrunners for the Future: Understanding and Promoting Adolescents’ Pro-Environmental Engagement” at Utrecht University. Judith studied how adolescents are impacted by and can contribute to the climate crisis.
If we want to secure a habitable planet for future generations, we must rapidly and extensively change our behavior. While this is a great challenge, Judiths dissertation shows that, from a young age, people are motivated to adopt pro-environmental behaviors when they perceive such efforts as aligned with their personal motives. Judiths dissertation offers a novel approach to promoting adolescent behavior change in the context of climate change. She found that climate change communication that resonates with adolescents’ key developmental motives to establish autonomy and gain peer status motivates them to adopt pro-environmental behaviors. She also found that communication that is attuned to adolescents’ motives generally elicits more positive and activating emotions (e.g., hope) while reducing negative and deactivating emotions (e.g., hopelessness).
In collaboration with Studio Wetenschap, Judith published an accessible magazine on her dissertation (in Dutch) here.
The full dissertation is available (in English) here.
On September 12, Sophie Sweijen successfully defended her PhD dissertation entitled“The Power of Prosociality: How Adolescents Contribute to Their Social Environment.”
In her dissertation, Sweijen examined the development of prosocial behaviors during adolescence, which are behaviors that benefit others, such as helping, sharing, comforting, or donating to charitable causes. She investigated the underlying behavioral and neural mechanisms of different dimensions of prosocial behavior.
Her research highlights three key insights. First, adolescent prosocial behavior extends beyond close social circles, such as friends, and can also be directed toward broader societal goals. Second, prosocial behavior undergoes qualitative changes during adolescence, which are not only related to chronological age but are also strongly linked to pubertal development. Third, helping others, particularly through everyday and small acts, can also have positive effects on adolescents’ own wellbeing.
Sophie continues her research as a postdoctoral researcher within the PRAATPOWER project, a collaborative initiative between MIND Us and YoungXperts. The project facilitates societal dialogues with young people and aims to translate scientific insights into innovative “take actions” that empower youth and support their mental health.
Promotors: Eveline Crone, Suzanne van de Groep and Lysanne te Brinke
You can find an interview with Sophie regarding her dissertation here.
SYNC wrapped 2025 is now available! Our annual SYNC wrapped offers an overview of the past year at the Erasmus SYNC lab, including key events, photos, quotes, and news. Explore and look back with us on our year!
Explore how the brain works – from baby to old age
Eveline Crone’s new book A Day in Our Brain, co-authored with Eva Munnik, is out now! Based on over 25 years of brain research, the book follows 11 characters through 24 hours to reveal how our brains function in daily life – from infancy to old age.
Meet Jimmy the teenager, sporty dad Ashwin, new mother Maud, and Grandpa Kenneth, each offering insights into different stages of brain development.
Published by Uitgeverij Lannoo, the book is now available in stores and online.
A must-read for anyone curious about the human brain!
Op 24 maart vond bij Albeda mbo een bijzondere bijeenkomst plaats: de maatschappelijke promotie van Kayla Green. Na haar cum laude promotie aan de Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam (EUR) op het thema jongerenwelzijn, bracht Kayla haar onderzoek nu ook naar een breder publiek – in samenwerking met praktijkpartners en beleidsmakers. Deze unieke samenwerking tussen Albeda en de EUR laat zien hoe wetenschap en samenleving hand in hand kunnen gaan.
In haar onderzoek staat centraal hoe jongeren en jongvolwassenen opgroeien in een wereld vol complexe uitdagingen: klimaatverandering, armoede, oorlog en de nasleep van een pandemie. Deze wereldproblemen kunnen invloed hebben op het welzijn van jongeren, maar die impact verschilt per individu. Kayla onderzoekt welke jongeren extra kwetsbaar zijn, welke sociaaleconomische factoren hieraan bijdragen én welke beschermende factoren juist positief werken. De stem van jongeren staat hierin centraal: zij worden niet alleen onderzocht, maar ook actief betrokken bij het onderzoek. Door hen actief te betrekken, wordt jongerenparticipatie een krachtig middel om wetenschap en samenleving dichter bij elkaar te brengen.
Tijdens de maatschappelijke verdediging werd de relevantie van haar werk krachtig onderstreept door onder andere Wethouder Faouzi Achbar (gemeente Rotterdam), Jantine Schuit (Rector Magnificus EUR) en Simone Fredriksz (lid college van bestuur Albeda).
De commissie van de maatschappelijke verdediging bestond uit praktijkdeskundigen: Gamze Karaca Cobanoglu (Onderwijsleider bij Albeda College Economie en Ondernemen), Puck de Gier (Beleidsmedewerker ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap), Bianca Boender (Voorzitter BVjong beroepsvereniging kind- en jongerenwerk, oprichter You!ng) en Thijs Launspach (Schrijver, psycholoog, spreker).
Als kers op de taart werd aangekondigd dat Kayla de nieuwe Practor Gelijke Kansen wordt bij Albeda. In deze rol zal zij haar onderzoeksfunctie aan de EUR combineren met haar rol binnen het practoraat. Een mooie stap richting meer gelijke kansen voor jongeren in Rotterdam en daarbuiten.
Gedijen in een complexe wereld – Hoe doe je dat?
Albeda Promotie | 24 maart 2025 – 11.30 – 14.00
Op 31 oktober 2024 verdedigde Kayla Green haar proefschrift aan de Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam voor een commissie van professoren. Zij promoveerde cum laude tot Doctor op haar onderzoek naar het welzijn van jongeren. Maar Kayla stelde zichzelf een belangrijke vraag: Waarom zijn het alleen professoren die vragen stellen? Moet dit niet anders? U bent van harte uitgenodigd voor dit bijzondere evenement op maandag 24 maart 2025 bij Albeda, locatie Rosestraat 1101 in Rotterdam.
Wat kunt u verwachten?
Tijdens deze unieke bijeenkomst zal Kayla haar proefschrift nogmaals verdedigen—maar deze keer niet voor professoren, maar voor partners uit de samenleving. Hoe kijken ondernemers, jeugdwerkers en docenten naar haar bevindingen? Wat kunnen we van elkaar leren?
Daarnaast zal Life After School samen met jongeren reflecteren op vragen als: Wat heb je nodig om goed op te kunnen groeien? Hoe stel je kritische vragen? En wat had je graag op school geleerd?
Science meets Society
Deze maatschappelijke verdediging is onderdeel van de samenwerking tussen het SYNC-lab van de Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam en Albeda, en vormt een brug tussen wetenschap en het MBO. Het volledige programma wordt later gecommuniceerd. Houd onze updates in de gaten!
Adolescence is a time of self-discovery, but for today’s youth, it comes with unprecedented challenges. Growing up in an era of social media, constant distractions, academic pressure, lockdowns, and climate concerns. How can young people build a strong and confident sense of self?
Generatie Zelfvertrouwen is the result of a unique, long-term study on youth self-image. It reveals that, despite today’s challenges, young brains are naturally equipped to adapt and thrive—provided they receive the right support.
Renowned professor Eveline Crone, author of Het puberende brein (100,000+ copies sold), and researcher Renske van der Cruijsen answer 30 key questions to help young people, and their parents, navigate adolescence with confidence.
In the podcast series “Young & Resilient,” brought to you by SYNC Lab and Movez Network, young people, researchers, and professionals share insights on growing up in a changing world and finding balance during adolescence.
Tune in for inspiring stories, practical tips, and fresh perspectives—ideal for anyone navigating or supporting the journey of adolescence.
The application of neuroscience has become an indispensable part of behavioural science. This interdisciplinary approach offers researchers new insights into the complex interactions between the brain, behaviour and the role of the environment. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, scientists can observe brain activity while participants perform various tasks. As of November 2024, Erasmus University Rotterdam will start intensive collaboration with the Erasmus Medical Centre, and a new research-dedicated 3 Tesla MRI scanner will be used to conduct high-quality neuroscientific research.
A wide range of researchers will use the MRI scanner located at the Erasmus Medical Center, including those from the Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB) and Rotterdam School of Management (RSM). Researchers use the scanner for both functional and structural brain research. Think of studying brain activity during cognitive tasks of making choices and analyzing brain structure about psychological factors, individual characteristics and skills Thanks to the collaboration between the various faculties and the Erasmus Medical Center, MRI scans are now more accessible to researchers. This lowers the threshold for conducting neurocognitive studies and increases the research capacity within Erasmus University.
Using fMRI to explore the complex relationship between brain and behaviour
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is an advanced technique that allows researchers to study brain activity during cognitive tasks, such as decision-making. While the structural MRI scanner mainly maps the grey and white matter in the brain, fMRI offers the possibility to observe in real-time which brain areas are active and how they communicate with each other. This technique stimulates collaboration between disciplines, including sociology, business administration, economics, psychology and neuroscience. This development fits perfectly with various research projects at Erasmus University that use fMRI to explore the complex relationship between brains and behaviour.
State of the Art MRI scanning facilities in Rotterdam
Growing Up Together in Society (GUTS)
The consortium ‘Growing Up Together in Society (GUTS)’, led by Prof. Dr. Eveline Crone, is one of the projects that will use fMRI intensively. They investigate how young people develop and can grow up successfully within society. It focuses on social interactions, cognitive development and the role of environmental factors. Using fMRI and other methods, the researchers want to gain insight into the neural mechanisms behind future-oriented behaviour, rewards for self and others and social trust. The GUTS programme also has a second leg in the Erasmus Behavioural Lab, where EEG research is conducted.
In SYNC Science Stories, we tell the stories behind our research results. Who are our researchers, and what motivates them? By focusing on three key themes, we explore today’s generation of youth and highlight how our researchers inspire each other.
Well-being: What challenges are young people currently facing? Trust: How much trust do young people have? Impulsivity: How does impulsivity shape the decisions young people make?
