Founded in 2012, the Self, Social Interaction and Media Lab (SIMLAB) is an interdisciplinary research lab bringing together researchers from the Department of Psychology at Koç University (Istanbul, Turkey) and the School of Communication & Arts at the University of Queensland (Brisbane, Australia).
At Simlab, we study the intersection of human behavior and digital technology through social, psychological, and policy lenses.
Our work is driven by one core question: How do networked technologies reshape how we see ourselves, connect with one another, and engage with institutions? By comparing the digital world to traditional communication, we map out what is genuinely unprecedented about modern tech—and what is simply human nature adapting to new tools.
This dynamic plays out across the critical areas we study. Below are a few examples:
At Simlab, we study the intersection of human behavior and digital technology through social, psychological, and policy lenses.
Our work is driven by one core question: How do networked technologies reshape how we see ourselves, connect with one another, and engage with institutions? By comparing the digital world to traditional communication, we map out what is genuinely unprecedented about modern tech—and what is simply human nature adapting to new tools.
This dynamic plays out across the critical areas we study. Below are a few examples:
- Digital Identity: How personality shapes first impressions online versus face-to-face.
- The Dynamics of Disclosure: How everyday conversation norms shift and resurface on social platforms.
- Social Movements: How today’s networked social movements echo the organizing strategies of the past.
- Misinformation Age: How our reliance on the internet versus mass media shapes what we believe.
- Human-AI Interaction: How we evaluate, interact with, and trust information generated by large language models.
- The Anatomy of Virality: How moral and emotional language helps charitable appeals cross group lines and go viral.
