Elina Morina
PhD student

Profile

Biography

I completed my bachelor studies in Speech and Language Pathology at Heimerer College in July 2017, followed by a second bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Prishtina "Hasan Prishtina" in July 2019. Subsequently, I pursued my master's studies in Psychology: Learning Sciences at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, graduating in August 2021.

During my master's program, I had the privilege of working under the supervision of Dr. Arianne Herrera-Bennett for my thesis. The study, conducted in collaboration with the University of California, Davis, focused on replicating a research project that explored the role of Narrative Distancing (narrative texts written in close and distant styles) on perceived psychological distance, affect, and imagery vividness.

In addition to my thesis work, I was involved in an online learning experiment with four other team members. This experiment explored participants learning pseudowords as names for objects falling into different categories (e.g., machines, animals). We assessed participants' ability to generalize their knowledge of categories to novel objects. Additionally, under the supervision of Dr. Xenia Schmalz, I explored the role of blocking versus randomization of pseudowords in the learning trials.

My academic journey reflects a deep commitment to Open Science and reproducibility. I firmly believe that Open Science is a fundamental element contributing to the enrichment of scientific knowledge.

Career

• Speech and Language Pathology – Heimerer College (October 2014 – July 2017);
• Psychology – University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina” (October 2016 – July 2019);
• Psychology: Learning Sciences – Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (October 2019 – August 2021);
• Psychology – University of York (October 2023 – September 2026 expected)

Research

Overview

Emotion processing, cultural context, and language control in bilingual populations.

Projects

I am currently working on exploring the impact of positive, negative neutral facial expression cues on bilingual populations. Specifically, my focus is on understanding the interplay of emotional information and facial expressions and their influence on language activation, selection, control, and associated switching costs within bilingual samples. Additionally, I am exploring the role of cultural identity in shaping these dynamics.

Grants

The University of York and SEERC fee waiver scholarship for PhD studies.

Collaborators

• Angela de Bruin,
• Ana Vivas

Publications