(1) We at the Affect Motivation and Action lab are fascinated by feelings and motivational states and how they link to our actions. We aim to answer questions such as:
How do people stay motivated to complete tedious tasks on a Blue Monday?
or
Why do individuals experience the world as a safer place when they are in a happy mood?
In our research, we cross traditional borders and draw inspiration from various fields including cognitive neuroscience, social psychology, clinical psychology, affective neuroscience, psychopharmacology, and (digital) humanities. Our ambition is to do robust research rooted in this fertile ground, using all relevant tools available in the toolkit of the cognitive neuroscientist.
(2) On a more associative note, AMA is also the acronym for
Ask Me Anything
This refers to how we want to do science. In our lab, we aim to be open in our data and methods and have the attitude to always learn new things. We love to ask questions and to be asked questions. Our focus is on curiosity-driven, basic scientific research.
(3) Lastly, did you know that the word “AMA” means “love” in Latin? The philosopher Augustine of Hippo once famously introduced the principle:
AMA ET FAC QUOD VIS
which translates to “Love, and do what you like”.
We believe this attitude is essential to our scientific work. In our lab, we aim to foster individual freedom and creativity with the hope of making our contribution to a kinder science.