
TEAM
Orly Bareket
Lab Director
email: orlybareket@bgu.ac.il
I am a social psychologist and a senior faculty at the psychology department of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), where I serve as the director of the Social Relations Lab. I completed my B.A. (2012) in psychology and management, followed by an M.A. (2015) and Ph.D. (2020) in social psychology, all at Tel Aviv University. Prior to joining BGU, I held a postdoctoral research fellowship at Princeton University.
Broadly speaking, my interest lies in examining the psychological processes that form and maintain social roles within contemporary society, as well as how they shape interpersonal relationships and group dynamics. My current focus primarily centers on identifying attitudinal and behavioral mechanisms that hinder gender equality, along with the associated personal and professional costs for those who engage in them.

Postdocs and PhD Students

Alon Burns
email: alonburns@gmail.com
I’m a postdoctoral researcher at Ben-Gurion University, where we explore the subtle ways people align with one another—emotionally and physiologically—in everyday interactions. Our project looks at how benevolent sexism shapes this alignment and impacts outcomes like romantic attraction or team performance, depending on the context.

Harel Nissani
email: harelnissani58@gmail.com
I am currently in the first year of my PhD studies, following the completion of an MA in Clinical Psychology at Ruppin Academic Center and a BA in Psychology and Management at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. I am interested in gender roles, specifically focusing on understanding how men are objectified and the implications of this phenomenon for both individuals and gender relations.
MA Students

Roni Farhi
email: rfarhi97@gmail.com
I am currently an M.A. student in Clinical Psychology at Ben-Gurion University, where I also completed my B.A. in Behavioral Sciences. My research interests focus on investigating gender stereotypes, particularly how these stereotypes manifest across different gender subgroups and influence the emotions and behaviors directed toward these groups.

Gilad Sarusi
email: giladsar@gmail.com
I’m an MA student in Social Psychology, participating in the Data Science program. I completed my BA in Philosophy and Psychology and was fortunate enough to continue my academic venture at BGU. I am interested in gender roles, with an emphasis on their effect on men who adopt them. Currently, I’m examining whether sexual objectification impairs men's ability to engage meaningfully with women.

Michal Kedar
email: michalnkedar@gmail.com
I’m an MA student in Clinical Psychology at Ben Gurion University, where I also completed my BA in Psychology and Education. I’m interested in exploring gender stereotypes across various subgroups, with a focus on how these stereotypes are manifested towards women both overtly and covertly.

Ayala Sommer
email: a78910a@gmail.com
I am currently an M.A. student in Clinical Psychology at Ben-Gurion University. I completed my B.A. in Psychology and Special Education at Bar-Ilan University. My research focuses on parental helping behaviors toward their children and how these behaviors are related to the gender of the parent, the gender of the child, and the type of task involved. I am particularly interested in the role of benevolent sexism in shaping these dynamics.
Lab Manager
BA students
Dana Blecher
Shachar Mamon
Maya Cohen
Yael Cytryn
Michal Dahan
Itay Davidov
Neta Zarviv
Itay Sapir
Michal Daskal
Romi Cohen
Itay Weiss
Amit Rubin
Michael Gal
Vered Abeles
Alumni
BA students
Itamar Itzchak Gur
Yam Sharvit
Reut Hendel
Keren Lary
Itamar Levy
Shir Dishbak
Noa Oholy
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