dr. Marie Postma

Bio

My name is Marie Postma and I am the Head of the Department of Cognitive Science & Artificial Intelligence at Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences.  In 2015-2020, I established three new interdisciplinary educational programs at Tilburg University: MSc Data Science & Society, BSc CSAI and MSc CSAI. 

Expertise

My research focuses on cognitive phenomena closely linked to the concept of consciousness, such as bistable perception, perceptual decoupling, interoception, and complex consciousness experiences (awe, absorption, mind wandering, etc.). To examine these phenomena that lie at the core of our subjective experience of the world, I make use of a broad range of research tools, including computational modeling and behavioral experimental methods applied on questionnaire-, behavioral and neurophysiological data collected in real and simulated environments (virtual reality).

Teaching

I teach courses and supervise internships and theses in the programs MSc Data Science & Society, BSc CSAI and MSc CSAI. In the past, I also taught a course for the University College Tilburg.

Courses

• Introduction to Cognitive Science
• Thesis/Data Science in Action

Collaboration

I am a core member of TAISIG (Tilburg Artificial Intelligence Special Interest Group). TAISIG aims to combine, coordinate, and strengthen AI activities at the university and to emerge recognizably as a key player in the regional and national AI domain. In addition, it aims to facilitate and accelerate the development of new research proposals and grant applications. TAISIG is divided into three clusters: AI algorithms and methods, AI applications and concepts, and ELSA (Ethical, Legal, and Societal Aspects of AI). Together with Prof. Pieter Spronck, I chair the AI Algorithms cluster. 

Highlights

2021-2022

• Why is it so hard to stay focused? - Talk for the University of the Netherlands (2021)
• Invited speaker at the New Interdisciplinary Horizons in Psychological Research conference, theme 'How Computational Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence should impact psychological research' (December 2021, University of Coimbra, Portugal)
• TV Program Fokus VM on the topic of 'The Brain', guest (2021)
• Joined editorial board of the International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology (2022)
• Invited lecture on  'Cognitive Science and Machine Learning' at the Winter School for Female Leadership in the Digital Age (2022)
• Public lecture at TAISIG Talks, Tilburg University (2022), TAISIG
• Presentation of  the TAISIG Position Paper 'Human Centric AI' outlining AI research at Tilburg University (2022)

Recent publications

1. The irresponsibility of not using AI in the military

   Meerveld, H. W., Lindelauf, R. H. A., Postma, E. O., & Postma, M. (2023). The irresponsibility of not using AI in the military. Ethics and Information Technology, 25(1), 1-6. [14].

2. A systematic review of pedagogical agent research: Similarities, diff…

   Dai, L., Jung, M. M., Postma, M., & Louwerse, M. M. (2022). A systematic review of pedagogical agent research: Similarities, differences and unexplored aspects. Computers & Education, 190, 1-28.

3. Evaluating the usage of Text-To-Speech in K12 education

   Dai, L., Kritskaia, V., Velden, E. V. D., Jung, M. M., Postma, M., & Louwerse, M. M. (2022). Evaluating the usage of Text-To-Speech in K12 education. In ICEEL '22: Proceedings of the 2022 6th International Conference on Education and E-Learning (pp. 182-188). Association for Computing Machinery (ACM).

4. Mind and body - The manifestation of mind wandering in bodily behavio…

   Dias Da Silva-van Riel, M., Branco, D., Postma, M., & Faber, M. (2022). Mind and body: The manifestation of mind wandering in bodily behaviors. In N. Dario, & L. Tateo (Eds.), New Perspectives on Mind Wandering Springer.

5. Revisiting consciousness - Distinguishing between states of conscious…

   Dias Da Silva-van Riel, M., Gonçalves, Ó. F., Branco, D., & Postma, M. (2022). Revisiting consciousness: Distinguishing between states of conscious focused attention and mind wandering with EEG. Consciousness and Cognition, 101, [103332].