Dr Maïka Telga

Professional biography

I graduated with a BSc in Psychology from the University of Poitiers (France), followed by two MSc degrees from the University of Granada (Spain), one in Cognitive Neuroscience and one in Social Psychology. This training shaped my interest in how cognitive processes operate within social contexts.

I completed my PhD at the University of Granada, where I examined how attention supports social perception and learning in intergroup settings. I continued this work in a postdoctoral fellowship at Granada, focusing on associative learning processes in intergroup interactions.

I then joined the University of St Andrews (UK) as a postdoctoral research fellow, using the social identity framework to investigate social influence and group behaviour in emergencies, including the use of virtual reality to study collective flight.

I joined The Open University in 2022 as a technical lead supporting research and methods teaching across the psychology curriculum, and was appointed Lecturer in Psychology in 2024.

Research interests

I am broadly interested in the cognitive and identity processes that shape how people perceive others and act within groups. I use experimental methods to examine attention and learning in intergroup contexts, intergroup biases, and collective behaviours, drawing on the social identity framework.

Building on this foundation, my ongoing work explores the role of the arts as a catalyst for social change. I investigate how artistic experiences, particularly within activism, engage attention, evoke emotional and cognitive responses, and shape intergroup perceptions and collective identities. 

I am co-lead of CuSP (Cultural and Social Psychology research group) alongside Parisa Dashtipour, and a member of FCRG (Forensic Cognition Research Group) in the Open Psychology Research Centre.

Teaching interests

I am a deputy co-chair on D811: Critically exploring psychology 2, a postdragduate module part of our MSc in Psychology (Conversion). I am also a presentation team member on the core Level 3 module  DE300: Investigating Psychology, and a production team member for two new Level 2 modules (D250 and D220).

PhD Supervision

I welcome enquiries from people interested in undertaking a PhD in areas related to:

• group processes and intergroup relations
• collective behaviour, crowds, and social influence
• collective action and social change
• social identity processes
• the role of the arts in activism and public engagement
• the impact of the arts on intergroup biases, attention or social learning

Please feel free to contact me for an informal discussion about potential supervision.

Impact and engagement

I have been actively engaged in a variety of impact and knowledge exchange including:

• accessible report on public behaviour in response to perceived hostile threats
• article for The conversation on the effects of racism of health
• articles for Ciencia Cognitiva on categorisation and individuation processes (here and here)
• broadcast interview for Suelta la olla