About
Mari Ito Alpturer is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Psychology within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Yeditepe University. She specializes in cross-cultural studies of environmental perception, cultural psychology, and the psychological impact of architectural spaces on human behavior. Her research bridges environmental psychology, cultural studies, and applied counseling psychology.
She holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of Liverpool (1996), an M.Sc. in Environmental Psychology from the University of Surrey (1992), and a BSc in Literature-I, Philosophy, and Psychology from Waseda University (1989). She has taught numerous courses, including Social Psychology, Environmental Psychology, and Cultural Psychology, often in English.
Her research interests revolve around cultural variations in place conceptualization, cross-cultural environmental perception, and the role of physical environments in psychological counseling. She has supervised over 10 master’s theses, focusing on topics like street children’s experiences, counseling room design, and culturally diverse therapy practices. Her work emphasizes phenomenological and cross-cultural methodologies.
Her recent studies investigate how room layouts and interior design influence client perceptions in counseling settings (e.g., 2016, 2022) and explore grief and resilience among bereaved university students (2020–2023). She has also contributed to architectural psychology, critiquing visual dominance in spatial design (2013).
Her academic contributions span 30+ years at Yeditepe University, including administrative roles as Department Deputy Chair (2003–2008) and Program Coordinator (2003). She is an active member of professional organizations like the Türk Psikologlar Derneği and the Facet Theory Association.
