Mirre Stallen, PhD

Background

My research interests are in understanding the psychological and neuroscientific processes underlying social decision-making, and in the application of these findings to address real-world societal issues. I am particularly interested in the impact of poverty on decision-making, and applying scientific insights to the development of actual policy interventions aiming to alleviate poverty in the Netherlands and abroad.

To this end, I currently combine two career paths. Since 2017, I have been an assistant professor at the Social, Economic and Organisational Psychology department, at the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences at Leiden University. Additionally, since 2017, I have been a senior researcher at the Poverty Interventions research group of the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. Combining these two tracks allows me to apply insights from academia to the development of poverty interventions in the field, while, at the same time, translating questions from the field to my research in the lab.

Previously, I was a postdoctoral researcher in the department of Psychology at Stanford University, collaborating with Prof. Brian Knutson. Prior to working at Stanford University, I held a postdoctoral position at the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour at Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands, where I worked with Prof. Alan Sanfey. I obtained my PhD at Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands, under the guidance of Prof. Ale Smidts, and I obtained my Master’s degree in Cognitive Science (cum Laude) at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

My research has been published in leading journals such as The Journal of Neuroscience, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States, Psychological Science, and more. I have presented my work at numerous academic conferences, including the Psychological Science Annual Convention , and the Annual Meeting of the Society of Neuroeconomics , from which I received the John Dickhaut Memorial Postdoctoral Travel Grant in 2014. Additionally, I have presented my research at a large number of venues for non-academic audiences, including workshops and symposia for policy makers and professionals aiming to alleviate poverty in the Netherlands and abroad.

Research

The goal of my research is twofold. First, I conduct experimental studies focusing on social inequality, in particular the domains of poverty and education. This research aims to increase understanding of the fundamental decision-making processes impacted by inequality. Second, I work to develop and test the effectiveness of novel interventions that strive to increase the well-being of people in poverty. To do this, I proactively collaborate with partners in the field, both governmental and NGO.

I supervise three PhD students at Leiden University, and am the project leader of Gezin en geld, a large cash transfer study currently underway across several municipalities in The Netherlands.

Zafira Rahmania nur Sabrina, PhD student, co-supervised with Lotte van Dillen and Wilco van Dijk, Leiden University.

Zafira’s research is designed to better understand why people often have difficulties saving for their retirement. In this endeavour, she particularly focuses on understudied communities, such as those who are self-employed, a group that is particularly vulnerable to the development of debts, and known for their absence of retirement savings. Insights of Zafira's work aim to inform interventions targeting people at risk of developing financial problems.

Luuk Snijder, PhD student, co-supervised with Carsten de Dreu, Leiden University, and Jorg Gross, University of Zurich.

In his research, Luuk uses economic games and behavioral experiments to study how to prevent the breakdown of cooperation, specifically among groups of unequals. Furthermore, Luuk designs novel paradigms to study the social psychological dynamics involved in the (de-)escalation of conflict between groups.

Halima Bouras, PhD student, co-supervised with Carsten de Dreu, Leiden University.

Halima studies whether non-cognitive competences, such as belief in self, explain that students with a low socioeconomic status often perform less well academically than their peers who grow up in more affluent families. The goal of her studies is to develop an intervention that can be implemented in the class room and successfully contributes to decreasing the inequality gap in education.

Gezin en geld (in English: Family and finance)

I lead a team at the Applied University of Amsterdam to study how the well-being of people in poverty is impacted by an unconditional cash transfer of €150 per month. This study involves a randomised controlled trial and is conducted in 3 municipalities in The Netherlands over a period of 2 years. Research questions focus on the mental, physical, and social well-being of both parents and children, as well as how the cash transfer impacts psychological proceses such as trust, hope, and belief in self.

Research-related publications

Stallen, M., Snijder, L.L., Gross, J., Hilbert, L.P. & de Dreu, C.K.W. (2023). Partner choice and cooperation in social dilemmas can increase resource inequality. Nature Communications, 14: 6432.

Kirby, L.D., Qian, W., Adiguzel, Z., Jahanshahi, A.A., Bakracheva, M., Ballestas, M.C.O.B, Cruz, J.F.A., Dash, A., Dias, C., Ferreira, M.J., Goosen, J.G., Kamble, S.V., Mihaylov, N.L., Pan, F., Sofia, R., Stallen, M., Tamir, M., van Dijk, W.W., Vitterso, J., & Smith, C.A.(2021). Appraisal and Coping Predict Health and Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An International Approach. International Journal of Psychology, 57(1), 49-62.

Stallen, M., Borg, N., & Knutson, B. (2021). Brain activity foreshadows stock price dynamics. The Journal of Neuroscience, 41(14), 3266-3274.

Micheli, L., Stallen, M., & Sanfey, A.G. (2021). The effect of centralized financial and social incentives on cooperative behavior and its underlying neural mechanisms. Brain Sciences, 11 (317), 1-19.

Huijsmans, I., Ma, I., Micheli, L., Civai, C., Stallen, M., & Sanfey, A.G. (2019). A scarcity mindset alters neural processes underlying consumer decision making. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States, 116 (24), 11699-11704.

Knutson B., & Stallen, M. How can affect influence choice? The Nature of Emotions, 2nd edition (2018). In Fox, A.S., Lapate, R.C., Shackman, A.J. & Davidson, R.J. (Eds.) (pp. 339-342), The nature of emotion. Fundamental questions (2nd edition). New York: Oxford University Press.

Stallen, M., Rossi, F., Heijne, A., Smidts, A., de Dreu, C.K.W., & Sanfey, A.G. (2018). Neurobiological mechanisms of responding to injustice. The Journal of Neuroscience, 38(12), 2944-2954.

Stallen, M. Griffioen, N., & Sanfey, A.G. (2017) Why are we not more selfish? What the study of brain and behavior can tell us. Frontiers for Young Minds, 5:47.

Sanfey, A.G., & Stallen, M. (2016). Neurosciences Contribution to Judgment and Decision-Making: Opportunities and Limitations. Wiley Blackwell Handbook of Judgment and Decision Making.

Stallen, M., & Sanfey, A.G. (2015). Cooperation in the brain: Neuroscientific contributions to theory and policy. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 3, 117-121.

Stallen, M., & Sanfey, A.G. (2015). The neuroscience of social conformity: Implications for fundamental and applied research. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 9:337.

Sanfey A.G., Stallen, M., & Chang, L. (2014). Norms and expectations in social decision-making. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 18, 172-174.

Smidts, A., Hsu, M., Sanfey, A.G., Boksem, M.A.S., Ebstein, R.B., Huettel, S.A., Kable, J.W., Karmarkar, U.R., Kitayama, S., Knutson, B., Liberzon, I., Lohrenz, T., Stallen, M., & Yoon, C. (2014). Advancing Consumer Neuroscience, Marketing Letters, 25, 257-267.

Stallen, M.,& Sanfey, A.G. (2013). The cooperative brain. The Neuroscientist, 19, 292-303.

Stallen, M., Smidts, A., & Sanfey, A.G. (2013). Peer influence: Behavioral and neuroimaging studies of in-group conformity. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7:50.

Stallen, M., de Dreu, C., Shalvi, S., Smidts, A., & Sanfey, A.G. (2012). The herding hormone: Oxytocin stimulates in-group conformity. Psychological Science, 23, 1288-1292.

Fahrenfort, J.J., van Winden, F., Pelloux, B., Stallen, M. & Ridderinkhof, K.R. (2012). Neural correlates of dynamically evolving interpersonal ties predict prosocial behavior. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 6:28.

Stallen, M., & Sanfey, A.G. Neuroeconomics and Game Theory. (2011). Wiley Encyclopedia of Operations and Management Science.

Stallen, M., Smidts, A., Rijpkema, M., Smit, G., Klucharev, V.A., & Fernandez, G. (2010). Celebrities and shoes on the female brain: The neural correlates of product processing in the context of fame. Journal of Economic Psychology, 31, 802-811.

Van Winden, F., Stallen, M., & Ridderinkhof, K.R. (2008). On the nature, modeling and neural bases of social ties. In D.E. Houser & K.A. McCabe (Eds.), Neuroeconomics, 20, 125-159.

Beer, J.S., Stallen, M., Lombardo, M.V., Gonsalkorale, K., Cunningham, W.A., & Sherman, J.W. (2008). The Quadruple Process Model approach to examining the neural underpinnings of prejudice. Neuroimage, 43(4), 775-783.

Policy-related publications (in Dutch)

Van Geuns, R., & Stallen, M. (2022). Armoede effectief bestrijden. Sozio, 2, 49-53.

Van Geuns, R., & Stallen, M. (2021). Armoede effectief bestrijden. Vakblad Sociaal Werk, 22(6), 7-11.

Van Dam., R., Kruithof, M., & Stallen, M. (2019). Budgettraining voor mensen met een licht verstandelijke beperking. Sociaal Bestek, 1, 17-19.

Stallen, M. (2018). Het effect van armoede op het kinderbrein. In Geuns, R., Desain, L., & van der Weijden, R (Eds), Hulp bij armoede: Bouwstenen voor effectieve hulpverlening bij armoede en schulden, (31-37). Houten, the Netherlands: Bohn, Stafleu, van Loghum.

Madern, T., & Stallen, M. (2018). Tijd om het gat te dichten: Wetenschappelijke kennis in de uitvoeringspraktijk. Tijdschrift voor Schuldsanering, 3, 12-15.

Kruithof, M., Stallen, M., Schonewille, G., & Weijers, M. (2018). Direct online hulp bij schulden: Online platform in de maak voor vragen over schulden en om slim door te verwijzen. Sociaal Bestek, 4, 42-44.

Fairley, K., Stallen, M., & Sent, E.M. (2013). De kracht van sociale normen. Economisch Statistische Berichten, 98, 27-31.

Ridderinkhof, K.R., & Stallen, M. (2010). Vrolijkheid als remedie tegen veroudering. In N. Lazerom & R. Van Dinteren (Eds.) Brein@Work: Breinkennis voor Organisaties, 161-171.

Stallen, M., & Ridderinkhof, K.R.. (2007). Vrolijkheid als remedie tegen veroudering. In W.G., van Aken, K.R. Ridderinkhof, F.R.J. Verhey, & M. Evenblij (Eds.), Cahier Bio-Wetenschappen en Maatschappij: Vergrijzend brein: wat ouder wordende hersenen met cognitieve vermogens doen.

Stallen, M., & Ridderinkhof, K.R. (2007). Diagnostische technieken. In W.G., van Aken, K.R. Ridderinkhof, F.R.J. Verhey, & M. Evenblij (Eds.), Cahier Bio-Wetenschappen en Maatschappij: Vergrijzend brein: wat ouder wordende hersenen met cognitieve vermogens doen.

Media

Last updated: Nov 2023

2023

Nature: Blog, about my study on how partner choice in social dilemmas can increase inequality [Click here]

Interactive Meet-up Het Klokhuis: Livestream, about growing up in poverty [Click here]

FunX Mental Health Club: Podcast, about the Dutch childcare benefits scandal [Click here: episode #88]

Leidsch Dagblad: News article, about my study on how financial stress impacts brain functioning [Click here]

2022

Universiteit van Nederland: YouTube, about my study on how financial stress impacts brain functioning [Click here]

NVVK Jong in de schulden: Podcast, about financial decision-making by adolescents [Click here]

Koepel Adviesraden Sociaal Domein: Blog, about the impact of poverty on the developing brain [Click here]

2021

The Guardian: News article, about my study on forecasting stocks [Click here]

Trouw: News article, about the cash transfer study I am leading [Click here]

Science unscripted: Podcast, about my study on forecasting stocks [Click here]

Radio NPO4: Interview, about the cash transfer study I am leading [Click here]

Inverse: News article, about my study on forecasting stocks [Click here]

2020

Volkskrant: News article, about my study on how financial stress impacts brain functioning [Click here]

2019

Sociale Vraagstukken: Op-ed, about my study on dealing with debts when having intellectual disabilities [Click here]

2018

Sociale Vraagstukken: Op-ed, about my study on why people punish [Click here]

Radio Sleutelstad FM: Interview, about my study on why people punish [Click here]

Nederlands Dagblad: Interview, about my study on why people punish [Click here]

Psychologie magazine: Interview, about my study on why people punish [Click here]

EOS Science: News article, about my study on why people punish [Click here]

2017

Behavioral Scientist: Blog, about the impact of poverty on the developing brain [Click here]

Sociale Vraagstukken: Op-ed, about the complexity of the Dutch social benefits system [Click here]

2014

Sociale Vraagstukken: Op-ed, about how incentivizing behavior can have a negative effect [Click here]

Studie Max Live: TV talk show, about how behavioral science can be used to influence behavior

Volkskrant: Interview, about how behavioral science can be used to boost environmentally conscious behavior

NRC: Op-ed, about how incentives can crowd out the motivation to do good

2013

Sociale Vraagstukken: Op-ed, about how neuroscience can be of help for policy makers [Click here]

CV

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