Rate My Professor Tugce Bakir-Demir

Dr Tugce Bakir-Demir is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Psychology at the University of Otago. She earned her Bachelor of Science from Middle East Technical University (METU) in Turkey, followed by a Master of Science in Psychology from METU (2014-2016), with a thesis on "The Relationship between Vegetation and Self-Regulation." She completed her PhD in Psychology at the University of Otago between 2018 and 2021, receiving the degree in 2022. Her doctoral dissertation, "When my parents tell their stories: the investigation of vicarious memories in the family context," investigates vicarious memories through family storytelling.

Bakir-Demir's academic interests center on life-span development, wellbeing, family dynamics, environmental influences, and cultural factors. Her research explores autobiographical memory, vicarious family stories, intergenerational narrative similarities, narrative identity, nature connectedness, and child development. She examines how family narratives and environmental elements affect emotion regulation, self-regulation, and psychological wellbeing, often using cross-cultural approaches comparing Turkey and New Zealand. Currently, she contributes to major projects such as the Kia Tīmata Pai (Best Start) longitudinal study, focusing on toddlers' oral language and self-regulation in diverse populations, and the Pacific Island Families Study. During her time at Otago, she served as a demonstrator for Brain and Behaviour (2018) and guest lecturer for Culture and Development (2020-present).

Her career also includes a Research Fellow position at Auckland University of Technology, where she guest lectures in Research Methods (2025-present). Notable publications include "Life Course Trajectories for Young Pasifika in Aotearoa: Protocol for the 25-Year Follow-Up of the Pacific Islands Families Study Cohort" (2025), "Cohort Profile: The New Zealand Best Start study (Kia Tīmata Pai)" (2025), "Nature Connectedness Boosts the Bright Side of Emotion Regulation, which in Turn Reduces Stress" (2021, Journal of Environmental Psychology), "How I Remember My Mother’s Story: A Cross-National Investigation of Vicarious Family Stories in Turkey and New Zealand" (2022), "Vicarious Family Stories of Turkish Young, Middle-Aged, and Older Adults: Are Family Stories Related to Well-Being?" (2021), and "How three generations narrate their vicarious family stories" (2020, Memory). With over 250 citations on Google Scholar, her work impacts developmental psychology, environmental psychology, and early childhood interventions.