On Friday February 2, 2018, at 11:45 am, Hester Ruigendijk will defend her dissertation at the Aula of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
Thesis Title: On the Psychology of Volition. Linking Action versus State Orientation to Cognitive Control Processes and to Their Neural Architecture.
Supervisors: Prof. Sander L. Koole, co-promotor: prof. P.A.M. van Lange
Summary: Hester’s dissertation addresses the question why people often do not act upon their intentions. Her research shows that people who often fail to enact their intentions may do so paradoxically because they focus to much on their goals, which makes them more rigid in their actions.