Iliana Samara
Lecturer
- Name
- Dr. I. Samara
- Telephone
- +31 71 527 2727
- i.samara.2@fsw.leidenuniv.nl
Iliana Samara is a researcher specialising in the psychology of attraction and social cognition. Her work focuses on how attraction captures our attention and influences the way we perceive and interact with others, as well as the role of coordination between individuals in forming romantic bonds.
Iliana Samara is a researcher specialising in the psychology of attraction and social cognition. Her work focuses on how attraction captures our attention and influences the way we perceive and interact with others, as well as the role of coordination between individuals in forming romantic bonds.
How attraction shapes attention and social cognition
In her recent studies, Samara has combined speed-dating paradigms with experimental tasks and eye-tracking technology to examine how people focus their attention on those they find attractive. She has also investigated how attraction shapes social cognition—how we interpret others' behaviors and intentions. Her findings reveal that attraction can influence our perception of facial expressions. For example, we may perceive a neutral expression as more positive or appealing if it comes from someone we are attracted to, or less so if we are not.
Synchrony and pair-bond formation
She also studies inter-individual coordination—the subtle synchrony that develops between people during interactions—and its role in pair-bond formation. This synchrony involves the alignment of emotional responses and even physiological rhythms, such as heart rate. By analysing real speed-dating videos, she has demonstrated that higher levels of this synchrony often correspond with stronger mutual attraction between partners.
Engaging adolescents through citizen science
Currently, Samara is leading a citizen science project funded by the NWO Wetenschapscommunicatie grant and the Gemeente Leiden. This project involves young adolescents in exploring questions they find personally meaningful about attraction, love, and their interaction with cognition. By involving young people directly in the research, the project aims to gain unique insights into how attraction, love, and cognitive processes influence each other during adolescence.
Lecturer
- Faculteit der Sociale Wetenschappen
- Instituut Psychologie
- Cognitieve Psychologie
Lecturer
- Faculteit der Sociale Wetenschappen
- Instituut Psychologie
- Bachelor Onderwijs
- Samara I. (15 May 2024), How do we form romantic bonds? : Investigating the effect of attraction on social cognition (Dissertatie. Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University). Supervisor(s) and Co-supervisor(s): Kret M.E., Nikolić M.
- Roth T.S., Samara I., Perea-García J.O. & Kret M.E. (2024), No immediate attentional bias towards or choice bias for male secondary sexual characteristics in Bornean orang-utans (Pongo pygmaeus) , Scientific Reports 14(1): 12095.
- Roth T.S, SamaraI., Perea-Garcia J.O. & Kret M.E. (2023), Individual attractiveness preferences differentially modulate immediate and voluntary attention, Scientific Reports 13: 2147.
- Samara I., Roth T.S., Nikolic M., Prochazkova E. & Kret M.E. (2022), Can third-party observers detect attraction in others based on subtle nonverbal cues? , Current Psychology : .
- Roth T.S., Samara I., Tan J., Prochazkova E. & Kret M. E (2021), A comparative framework of inter-individual coördination and pair-bonding, Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences 39: 98-105.
- Roth T. S., Samara I. & Kret M. E. (2021), Multimodal mate choice: exploring the effects of sight, sound, and scent on partner choice in a speed-date paradigm, Evolution and Human Behavior 42(5): 461-468.
- Samara I., Roth T.S. & Kret M.E. (2021). (2021), The role of emotion projection, sexual desire, and self-rated attractiveness in the sexual overperception bias , Archives of Sexual Behavior 50: 2507-2516.
- Kret M.E., Venneker D., Evans B., Samara I. & Sauter D. (2021), The ontogeny of human laughter , Biology Letters 17(9): .
- Roth T.S., Du X., Samara I. & Kret M.E. (2021), Attractiveness modulates attention, but does not enhance gaze cueing, Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences : .
- Roth T.S., Samara I. & Kret M.E. (2020), Ultimate and proximate factors underlying sexual overperception bias: a reply to Lee et al, Evolution and Human Behavior 42(1): 73-75.
- Wang B., Samara I. & Theeuwes J. (2019), Statistical regularities bias overt attention , Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics 81(6): 1813-1821.