Francesco Walker

Assistant professor of Cognitive Psychology
I study the ways in which humans interact with human artifacts: from art to technology.

Research that answers real-life questions

How do you look at a painting in a museum? Are you afraid of AI technology, and do you want to see self-driving cars on the road?

In my work at the Humans, Art and Technology Lab at Leiden University, I focus on research questions with direct implications for the way we live our lives. And when I have results, I communicate them, so that everyone can learn and benefit from the practical implications and limitations of my work.
"Applied research is fundamental! Without applied research, many findings from fundamental research would have no impact on the outside world".
Humans, Art and Technology Lab

HATlab

Visit our HATlab

Support the Art Matters campaign

We've launched a crowdfunding campaign to support research on how art and museums change how we see the world.
Every contribution counts. Your support allows us to turn research into real change, creating museum experiences that make a lasting difference in how people connect with art.
How can humans develop trust in technology?
Research

Appropriate trust in technology

When humans are afraid to trust automated technologies, such as self-driving vehicles and AI, they give up on the benefits the technologies can offer. But trusting them too much can be deadly dangerous. 

Mobile eye-tracking

In my research, I use methods like mobile eye tracking and physiological measurements to study how humans can develop an appropriate level of trust in technology.
"The real question about Artificial Intelligence is not whether we should trust it. It is where and when we should trust it."
How do humans interact with works of art?
Research

Enhancing the experience of museums

I investigate how humans interact with works of art, using eye-tracking. How do children view paintings from van Gogh, and where do they look? We do research on location at major museums like the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum to investigate how children perceive art.

We also want to know see what the effect is of communication at the museum, and see how we can improve it.
 
I am always looking for new collaborations to do research in the field.
"Our experience of art is deeply affected by the way it is taught and presented. Cognitive research can help teachers and museums design a better experience for students and visitors."
About

Francesco Walker

Assistant professor and researcher at Leiden University’s department of Cognitive Psychology
I'm from Rome, Italy, so I was raised with art and streets crowded with cars. As a child, I was captured by the beauty of art and realized that art can change you as a person. These topics were a huge part of my life, which led me to want to do research that can be used to change society and have a positive impact on the world. That's why I work with societal partners.

In my research I explore the way humans interact with human artifacts, from art to technology, focusing on research questions with direct implications for the way we live our lives. And I want to have fun doing it.
Humans, Art and Technology Lab

HATlab

With the HAT team, we study how Humans interact with Art and Technology. We collaborate with Museums and work towards a better understanding of art and AI perception.
Visit our HATlab

Talks on
tech & art

Are you looking for an engaging speaker to explore human trust in technology and its impact on behavior? Or perhaps you're curious about the insights scientific data can offer on museum visitor experiences?

As a science communicator, I regularly give talks about my research to the general public, students, and other academics. Choose from these topics, or let me create a custom talk for you.
Courses on science communication
I design and deliver custom courses on science communication, preparing students and fellow researchers to effectively communicate their work to different audiences.
  • Art & Technology

    From dangerous painters to safe cars: Art perception and user interactions with automated vehicles

    Museum experience

    Art through the
    eyes of children: Enhancing children’s museum experience

  • Trust in AI

    They prefer humans! ChatGPT: the impact on education

    Trust in AI

    Self-driving cars: To trust or not to trust?

Grants

Grass Shoots education grant

Pitching in VR: Enhancing student presentation skills with Virtual Speech (2024, 8k)

Starter grant

Unleashing the Power of Emotion: Exploring the Role of Emotional Engagement in Art Appreciation and Education (2023, 260k)

Awards

Best poster

Award for Best Poster 2018 at 6th BMW Summer School: Emotion Aware Vehicle Assistants, Raitenhaslach, Germany.

Best presenter

Award for Best Presenter 2018 at 6th Humanist Conference, Den Haag, The Netherlands.

The Robert Francès Award

Most Outstanding Student Research Contribution 2016 at 24th IAEA Congress of Empirical Aesthetics, Vienna, Austria.

Media

Bart Vergeer (2024, May 16). Zwanenzang van de verbrandingsmotor. Het Financieele Dagblad (The Netherlands)

Linda van Putten (2022, December 22). What do children see in art? Psychologists are studying this at the Rijksmuseum. Leiden University (The Netherlands)

Bien Borren (2017, August 27). Kinderen beleven kunst op hun eigen manier. Het Parool (The Netherlands)

Kelly Kasulis (2017, July 23). Art through the eyes of babies. The Boston Globe (USA)

Oliver Moody (2017, June 22). The naked truth about how adults see art. The Times (United Kingdom)

Publications

Walker, F., Bucker, B., Snell, J., et al. (2024). Age-adapted painting descriptions change th viewing behavior of young visitors to the Rijksmuseum. Scientific Reports, 14, 22880

Walker, F., Forster, Y., Hergeth, S., Kraus, J., Payre, W., Wintersberger, P., & Martens, M. (2023). Trust in automated vehicles: constructs, psychological processes, and assessment. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1279271

Walker, F., Wang, J., Martens, M. H., & Verwey, W. B. (2019). Gaze behaviour and electrodermal activity: Objective measures of drivers’ trust in automated vehicles. Transportation research part F: traffic psychology and behaviour, 64, 401-412

Walker, F., Bucker, B., Anderson, N. C., Schreij, D., & Theeuwes, J. (2017). Looking at paintings in the Vincent Van Gogh Museum: Eye movement patterns of children and adults. PloS one, 12(6), e0178912

Let's collaborate!

Do you work at a public institution or museum, government body or private company (e.g. vehicle manufacturer)? Let's work together to find answers to urgent issues.

Are you looking for an enthusiastic speaker on art and tech perception, or a trainer in science communication skills?

Send me an email or connect with me on LinkedIn.
f.walker@fsw.leidenuniv.nl