Professor Marian Bakermans-Kranenburg, PhD

Premiere for the Eneroth lectures!

Eneroth lecture #1 will take place on 9 October, 14:00–15:30 in Lecture room 22, House 4, Albano.

Read more about professor Bakermans-Kranenburg
 

Abstract

The pomologist and landscape gardener Olof Eneroth studied nature-nurture interactions in the development of plants and flowers. It seems a small step from his work and fascination to research in humans on ‘differential susceptibility’, where the metaphor of dandelions and orchids has been used to indicate differences in susceptibility to environmental influences. Some children would be like dandelions, doing well in diverse conditions; other children more like orchids, withering away in adverse conditions but showing above-average benefits from supportive environments.

In my talk I will discuss the empirical evidence for the differential susceptibility hypothesis, as well as some of the questions that arise within this framework. I will explain why the metaphor of orchids and dandelions is both poorly and well chosen, using epigenetic insights that were not available at the time that the idea was launched, but would also have had the interest of Mr. Eneroth.

On the Eneroth lectures

Eneroth lectures is a new lecture series at the Department of Psychology. Academic state-of-the-art lectures by top researchers from all over the world offered at least once every semester and open to the public. The lectures will take place on site on Campus Albano, with the possible complement of Zoom.