Experimental Research in Clinical Psychology Laboratory was founded in 2017 by Prof. Dr. Müjgan İnözü Mermerkaya. The aim of the laboratory is to conduct experimental studies on anxiety disorders and specifically obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Examples of recent research projects include “The Examination of the Relationship of Mental Contamination, Religiosity, Self-forgiveness, Guilt and Thought-Action Fusion with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Symptoms: An Experimental Study in the University Students” and “The Impact of Neutralization in Imagined Non-Consensual Kiss on Mental Contamination and OCD Symptoms Across Gender Groups: A Study with University Students”.

In 2017, we established a virtual reality research unit within the laboratory with the collaboration of Dr. Ufuk Çelikcan from Computer Engineering Department. Virtual reality is a simulation created by computers that seem real to the users. Users usually wear a head mounted display and interact with the virtual environment with the help of sensors. In recent years, virtual reality has been applied to various domains including education, assessment and treatment of psychological disorders.

Delivering exposure therapy in virtual reality may be a safer and cost-effective alternative to
standard application of the technique. The research project SHD-2017-15696 supported by
Hacettepe University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit investigated whether exposure to dirty objects in a virtual environment induced anxiety, disgust and urge to wash and whether doing certain tasks in a dirty virtual kitchen alleviated these emotions.

Dr. Müjgan Inözü Mermerkaya is also a member of the Research Consortium on Intrusive Fear
(RCIF). RCIF was founded in 2004 with the aim of investigating cognitive components of intrusive fear across various cultures. It consist of 17 researchers from 11 different countries including Dr. Wong (China, Hong Kong), Dr. Shams (Iran), Dr. Doron (Israel), Dr. Clark, Dr. Radomsky and Dr. Purdon (Canada), Dr. Abramowitz and Dr. Coles (USA), Dr. Moulding (Australia), Dr. Bouvard (France), Dr. Simos (Greece), Dr. Sica and Dr. Ghisi (Italy), Dr. Belloch, Dr.Garcia-Soriano ve Dr. Alanso (Spain). Latest Project of RICF is called “Trans-Diagnostic Features of the Intrusive Thoughts Using Questionnaire of Unpleasant Intrusive Thoughts-QUIT”. In 2017, our lab organized the “Cross-cultural studies and current approaches in the treatment of OCD Symposium” and hosted RCIF members in Ankara.
“How do intrusive negative thoughts turn into clinical obsessions? Comparison of obsessive-
compulsive disorder, anxiety disorders and non-clinical groups with a semi-structured interview” is another research project recently completed, funded by Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey.