Invited Speakers

We are very proud to have the following three keynote speakers at IVA 2015.

Prof. Gerben van Kleef

"Emotions as social information: Implications for virtual interactions"

Gerben van Kleef (1977) is professor of social psychology. He conducted his dissertation research at the department of Work and Organizational Psychology of the University of Amsterdam (PhD in 2004,cum laude ). Gerben van Kleef's primary research interests revolve around emotion, power, and conflict. In studying these topics he looks at basic social psychological processes and effects, and explores their implications for organizational behavior and society. His research on emotion centers around the interpersonal effects of discrete emotions in various social and organizational contexts, including personal relationships, conflict, negotiation, leadership, persuasion, and sports. His research on power is aimed at understanding how people acquire power, and how (lack of) power influences social information processing, interpersonal sensitivity, and pro-social versus egoistic behavior. His work on conflict spans different levels of analysis, including negotiation dynamics at the dyadic level, issues such as diversity and conformity at the group level, and social identity processes at the intergroup level.

Page Anderson

"Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder"

Page Anderson, Ph.D. (1998) is an Associate Professor of Psychology and an associate member of the Neuroscience Institute and of the Partnership for Urban Health at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. She is interested in better understanding and treating the most common mental health problem in the US - anxiety disorders. She strives to conduct research that contributes to our scientific knowledge base on anxiety, strengthens the connection between science and mental health practice, and has practical applications for those who are suffering with anxiety disorders. Her work on virtual reality exposure therapy for anxiety disorders has been funded consistently by the US National Institute of Mental Health since 1999 and has been featured in multiple media outlets, including CNN, the Discovery Channel, and the BBC.

Michaël Bas

"Title to be announced shortly"

Michaël Bas is co-founder and CEO of Ranj serious games. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts (Willem de Kooning Academy) Rotterdam, faculty painting and design, and the University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, faculty Image and Media Technology  Since 1987 he has been active as visual artist, designer, scriptwriter, researcher and game designer. Michael is an expert in the field of serious games for health care and education. Michaël's main interest is uncovering new ways to influence human behavior. Ranj (sanskrit for entertainment of the mind) specializes in tailor made serious games, designed to meet complex learning and communication goals. It has build up a huge portfolio and expertise in applying game technology and principles to serious industries. Ranj’s mission is to help people and organisations develop themselves in a more effective, efficient and engaging way. Since 1999 Ranj realized over 400 games, many of them award winning.