Leon Behle

Leon completed his International Bachelor's degree in Psychology and pursued a research Master's in Cognitive Neuroscience at Leiden University. During his Bachelor's studies he spent a semester in New Zealand, studying philosophy and anthropology. His master's research focused on placebo-induced hallucinations and their associated psychophysiological responses, contributing to the understanding of how expectations can shape experience. 

Besides his studies, Leon has gathered research experience assisting in an fMRI experiment on early visual processing at the Spinoza Center for Neuroimaging in Amsterdam. He also collaborated with Durham University on a cross-cultural psychology project in Uganda, where he conducted eye-tracking research on emotion recognition and audience effects. Additionally, he contributed to a project focused on examining placebo effects in medicine and how patient provider communication can be improved.

Currently, Leon embarked on his PhD journey as part of the RTG 2906, with a focus on the factors that drive human curiosity by examining how individual differences, content characteristics, contextual elements, and their interplay influence our inclination to approach or avoid information.