Figen Karadogan, Ph.D.
Title: Associate Professor of Psychology and Interim Director of Honors College
Office Location: G390
Office Hours: Office hours vary from semester to semester. See syllabus.
Phone: 708-534-4903 ext. 4903
College: College of Education and Human Development
Department(s):
Expertise
Education
Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology (Social Judgment and Decision Making); Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, 2010
M.S. in Social Judgment and Decision Making; Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, 2005
B.S. in Psychology, Ortadogu Teknik Universitesi, Ankara, Turkiye, 1998 (graduated with distinction as an honor student)
Biography
Dr. Figen Karadogan is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Governors State University, where she also serves as Interim Director of the Honors College. She specializes in cognitive psychology, with a focus on judgment and decision making.
Her research explores the role of emotions in human judgment and decision making, with a particular emphasis on regret. Although regret is typically viewed as a negative emotion, her work examines whether it can also serve an adaptive function. Specifically, she investigates when and why people experience regret, the factors that influence its intensity, and whether regret can motivate learning, behavioral change, and better decisions in the future.
Her more recent research expands on these interests by exploring the roles of mindfulness, spirituality, and self-regulation in shaping how individuals interpret their experiences, navigate emotional challenges, and make decisions.
Dr. Karadogan also directs the Judgment and Decision Making (JDM) Research Lab, where she works closely with undergraduate and graduate students on collaborative research projects. She mentors students throughout the research process, from developing research questions and designing studies to analyzing data and presenting findings at regional, national, and international conferences. Her goal is to give students hands-on research experience and opportunities to actively participate in research beyond the classroom.
As Interim Director of the Honors College, Dr. Karadogan contributes to the development and continuous improvement of the Honors curriculum while working closely with students and faculty to enrich the Honors experience. She is particularly committed to helping students pursue opportunities in research, graduate education, and prestigious scholarships and fellowships.
Publications
Single asterisks indicate undergraduate student co-authors.
Karadogan, F., Shepard*, A., & DeSantis*, S. (Revised manuscript submitted). Mindfulness Beyond Perfection: Soothing the Sting of Regret. Journal of Applied Disciplines.
Ulutas, O. K., Karadogan, F., Akgul, S.,* & Yildiz*, Z. G. (2024). Assessing the safety and efficacy of DIY-homemade sunscreens with natural, aromatic and herbal ingredients. Phytochemistry Letters, 59, 101-107.
Karadogan, E., & Karadogan, F. (2019). Simulation-based learning modules for undergraduate engineering dynamics, Computer Applications in Engineering Education, 27, 846-862. https://doi.org/10.1002/cae.22114
Xu, P., Gonzalez-Vallejo, C., Weinhardt, J., Chimeli, J. & Karadogan, F. (2018). Use of the familiarity difference cue in inferential judgments. Memory & Cognition, 46(2), 298-314. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13421-017-0765-5
Karadogan, E., Williams, R. L., & Karadogan, F. (2016). Evaluation of haptic modules for the undergraduate mechanics. Proceedings of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference, 5C, https://doi.org/10.1115/DETC2015-46060
Beike, D.R., Markman, K.D., & Karadogan, F. (2009). What we regret most are lost opportunities: A theory of regret intensity. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 35, 385-397.
Markman, K.D., Karadogan, F., Lindberg, M.J., & Zell, E. (2009). Counterfactual thinking: Function and dysfunction. In K.D. Markman, W.M.P. Klein, & J.A. Suhr (Eds.), The handbook of imagination and mental simulation (pp.175-194). New York: Psychology Press.
Scholarship
GRANTS
2025 - Belonging at GovSate: How Student Perceptions Align with the Institutional Values and Success, Institutional Engagement and Excellence Mini-Research Grant, (Principal Investigator, $5,000).
2025 - Mindfulness Beyond Perfection: Soothing Regret. Psi Chi International Honor Society Faculty Research Grant, (Principal Investigator, $2,000).
TRAVEL GRANTS
2026 - Association for Psychological Science Annual Convention (Conference Support), Barcelona, Spain.
AWARDS
2026 - McClellan Faculty Research Excellence Award, College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences, Governors State University
2024 - McClellan Faculty Research Excellence Award, College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences, Governors State University