The PSIKOMER Student Reading Group is an English-language reading group with student participation, where psychology students can come together outside of classes and exams to gain experience in reading, thinking, and discussing together. The group aims to broaden the intellectual horizons of psychology beyond textbooks and academic articles, expanding into areas such as literature, culture, society, ethics, identity, emotion, and human relationships.
The reading list is planned to include two fiction and two non-fiction works each academic year. Non-fiction readings may be selected from theoretical, critical, or research-based works in psychology; fiction readings may be chosen from novels and short stories that can open up psychological, social, cultural, or ethical discussions. The works are selected with the facilitation of an advisor and student coordinator appointed by PSİKOMER. Depending on the chosen work or discussion topic, academics working in related fields may also be invited to the meetings; however, the group is primarily based on intellectual discussions among the students themselves.
Meetings are held in person, last approximately 90 minutes, and are conducted in English. Participants are not required to read the works in English; however, they are expected to be proficient enough to participate in discussions in English. Coming to each meeting having read the relevant work beforehand and actively participating in the discussion are fundamental principles of the group. Therefore, the meetings are not designed as passively listened-to presentations, but rather as collaborative discussion spaces where students can ask questions, share their interpretations, and encounter different readings.