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Dr. Shir Etgar

שיר אתגר
Contact Info

The Open University The Dorothy De Rothschild Campus One University Road, P.O.B. 808 Ra’anana 4353701, Israel
Email:[email protected]

Areas of Interest
  • Judgment and Decision Making
  • Computer- Human Interaction
  • Internet Psychology
  • Evaluations and Social Comparisons

Research Associate, The Research Center for Innovation in Learning Technologies, The Open University of Israel

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2015- 2017
 Post-Doc fellow, the Research Center for Internet Psychology, Sammy Ofer School of Communications, Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya.
2009- 2015
Ph.D., Social Psychology, Tel-Aviv University.
2008- 2009
M.A., Social Psychology, Tel Aviv University (magna cum laude).
2001-2005
B.A., Psychology and Sociology, The Open University of Israel (magna cum laude).
2017
Runner up at the poster competition, SPUDM26 Biennial Meeting
2012 - 2015
List of 100 outstanding instructors, Tel Aviv University.
2013
Rector's award for excellence in teaching, Tel Aviv University.
2008
Departmental scholarship for M.A. excellent student, Tel Aviv University.
2006
President's scholarship for excellence in academic achievement, The Open University of Israel.
2005 ; 2002
Dean's list of academic achievement, The Open University of Israel.

Participated in the European Association for Social Psychology (EASP) summer school, Limerick, Ireland, 2012.

 Chair of the organizing committee, the 13th and 14th  Chais Conference for the Study of Innovation and Learning Technologies: Learning in the Technological Era, Ra'anana: The Open University of Israel.

Member of the program committee, the 13th and the 14th Chais Conference for the Study of Innovation and Learning Technologies: Learning in the Technological Era, Ra'anana: The Open University of Israel.

                     Chair of the organizing committee, the 14th Chais Conference for the Study of Innovation and Learning Technologies: Learning in the Technological Era, Ra'anana: The Open University of Israel.

Participation in the 11th JDM Workshop for Early-Career Researchers. Konstanz, Germany, 2018

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Etgar, S. & Amichai-Hamburger, Y. (Under review), Can Smartphone Multitasking Influence Romantic Intimacy?

Amichai-Hamburger, Y., Etgar, S., Gil- Ad, H., Levitan- Giat, M. & Raz, G. (Under review), Personality and the impact of celebrity endorsements on Instagram.

Etgar, S., Shani-Sherman, T. & Amichai-Hamburger, Y.  (Under review), If You're Afraid, Take a Narcissistic Selfie: The Mediating Role of Terror Management in the Relationship between Narcissism and Selfie Taking.

Hai, S., Etgar, S. & Amichai-Hamburger, Y. (Under review), The Self in Selfie: individualistic and collectivist Self-Construals and Selfie Posting.

 Etgar, S., Blau, I. & Eshet-Alkalai, Y. (2019) White-collar Crime in Academia: Trends in Digital Academic Dishonesty over Time and Their Effect on Penalty Severity. Computers & Education, 141, 103621. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103621 . 

Etgar, S. & Amichai-Hamburger, Y. (2017), Not all selfies took alike: distinct selfie motivations are related to different personality characteristics. Frontiers in Psychology.   doi:  10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00842

Amichai-Hamburger, Y., & Etgar, S. (2016). Intimacy and Smartphone Multitasking—A New Oxymoron?. Psychological Reports, 119, 826-838.

 Etgar, S. & Amichai-Hamburger, Y. (2018), The Impact of Smartphone Use in Teaching Evaluation Survey: Can Type of Device Change Lecturer's Evaluation?. In: Y. Eshet-Alkalai, I. Blau, A. Caspi, S. Etgar, N. Geri, Y. Kalman, V. Silber-Varod (Eds.), Proceedings of the 13th Chais Conference for the Study of Innovation and Learning Technologies: Learning in the Technological Era, Ra'anana: The Open University of Israel, pp. 76E-78E.

Amichai-Hamburger, Y. & Etgar, S. (2018), Internet and Well-Being. In Forgas, J. & Baumeister, R. (Eds.). The Social Psychology of the Good Life. Psychology Press: New York.

Amichai-Hamburger, Y. & Etgar, S. (2017), Online Contact and Intergroup Conflict Resolution. In Giles, H. & Harwood, J. (Eds.). Encyclopedia of intergroup communication. Oxford University Press: New York. doi: 10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.013.458

Amichai-Hamburger, Y. & Etgar, S. (2017), What Lies Behind Online Intergroup Contact? Promoting Positive Emotions. In Messaris, P. & Humphreys, L. (Eds.). Digital Media: Transformations in Human Communication (second edition). Pp. 279- 286. Peter Lang Publishing: New York.

​Amichai-Hamburger, Y. & Etgar, S. (in press), Personality and Internet Use: The Case of Introversion and Extroversion. In Attrill-Smith, A., Fullwood, C., Keep, M. & Kuss, D.J. (Eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Social Psychology. Oxford University Press: New York. doi: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198812746.013.4

 Y. Eshet-Alkalai, I. Blau, A. Caspi, S. Etgar, N. Geri, Y. Kalman, V. Silber-Varod (2018). Proceedings of the 13th Chais Conference for the Study of Innovation and Learning Technologies: Learning in the Technological Era. Ra'anana: The Open University of Israel.

Y. Eshet-Alkalai, I. Blau, A. Caspi, S. Etgar, N. Geri, Y. Kalman (2019). Proceedings of the 14th Chais Conference for the Study of Innovation and Learning Technologies: Learning in the Technological Era. Ra'anana: The Open University of Israel

Ben-Shalom, U., Weiner, A., Mizrahi, G., Spelter, T. & Etgar, S. (2008). Military Psychology, Volume 6. Ground Forces HQ: Applied Military Psychology Center (in Hebrew). 

 Kadish, A., Ben-Shalom, U., Tubi, T. & Elron, Z. (2007). Special Forces: Erection, regimentation, and disassembly. Ginossar, S., Etgar, S. & Herbst, E. (Eds.). Ground Forces HQ: Applied Military Psychology Center  (in Hebrew). 

 Ben- Shalom, U., Lachterman, B., Ginossar, S., Mizrahi, G., Etgar, S. & Herbst, E. (2006). Military Psychology, Volume 5. Ground Forces HQ: Applied Military Psychology Center (in Hebrew). 

 Ben- Shalom, U., Mizrahi, G., Bernshtain, J., Ginossar, S. & Etgar, S. (2005). Military Psychology, Volume 4. Ground Forces HQ: Applied Military Psychology Center (in Hebrew).

Ben-Shalom, U., Dubrovsky, I., Knafo, A. & Etgar, S. (2005). Soldiers During the Disengagement: Stress, Coping and Meaning from a positive psychology perspective. In Ben-Shalom, U., Lachterman, B., Ginossar, S., Mizrahi, G., Etgar, S. & Herbst, E. Military Psychology (5). Ground Forces HQ: Applied Military Psychology Center (in Hebrew).

 Etgar, S. How to maintain intimacy in the era of smartphones? The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Digital World symposium, The Open University of Israel, 20.5.19.

Etgar, S. & Amichai-Hamburger, Y., Can using smartphones influence decision making processes? Decision Making and Economic Psychology seminar, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, 15.5.19.

Etgar, S., Does smartphone influence thinking processes? "High School Academy" ceremony, The Open University of Israel, 14.5.19.

Etgar, S. & Amichai-Hamburger, Y., Can using smartphones influence decision making processes? Social Sciences Seminar, Ruppin Academic Center, 4.3.19

Etgar, S., Love in the time of technology. Volunteer lecture for the general public, as part of "science on the bar" series. WIZE, Tel Aviv, 25.2.19

 Etgar, S. & Amichai- Hamburger, Y., Can using smartphones influence thinking processes? The 5th Conference of the Learning Sciences in Israel, Haifa, 30.1.19

 Etgar, S. & Amichai-Hamburger, Y., Can using smartphones influence decision making processes? Risk and Uncertainty in the 21st Century: DMEP-Ratio Joint Workshop, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 20.12.18.

Etgar, S. & Amichai- Hamburger, Y., Can using smartphones influence decision making processes? Society for Judgment and Decision Making, the 2018 39th Annual Conference, New Orleans, 18.11.18

 Etgar, S., Love in the time of technology. Lecture for the general public, as part of "science on the bar" series. WIZE, Tel Aviv, 13.7.18.

 Etgar, S., Does smartphone influence thinking processes? Invited talk, Department of Education and Psychology seminar, The Open University of Israel, 13.6.18

Etgar, S. & Amichai- Hamburger, Y., Can different technological devices influence decision making processes? The 11th JDM Workshop for Early- Career Researchers. Konstanz, Germany, 7.6.18.  

Etgar, S., Always with us: The Psychological Influences of Smartphone Multitasking. Invited talk, Psychology Seminar, Achva Academic College, 8.5.18

Etgar, S. & Amichai- Hamburger, Y., Can different technological devices influence decision making processes?. the 19th Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Atlanta, Georgia, 3.3.18.

Etgar, S. & Amichai- Hamburger, Y., Can different technological devices influence decision making processes?. Psychology of Media and Technology pre- conference, part of the 19th Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Atlanta, Georgia, 1.3.18.

Etgar, S. & Amichai- Hamburger, Y. The Impact of Smartphone Use in Teaching Evaluation Survey: Can Type of Device Change Lecturer's Evaluation? the 13th Chais Conference for the Study of Innovation and Learning Technologies: Learning in the Technological Era, The Open University of Israel, Ra'anana, 20.2.18.

Etgar, S. & Amichai- Hamburger, Y., Does Smartphone Multitasking Affect Romantic Intimacy?. Invited talk.  The dark side of technology: How to develop survival skills in digital space? Pre- conference of   the 13th Chais Conference for the Study of Innovation and Learning Technologies: Learning in the Technological Era, The Open University of Israel, Ra'anana, 19.2.18.

Etgar, S. & Amichai- Hamburger, Y., Can using smartphones influence thinking processes? The 5th Conference of the Learning Sciences in Israel, Haifa, 30.1.19.

Etgar, S. & Amichai- Hamburger, Y., Does smartphone influence decision making processes? Invited talk, I'm an analogical decision maker in a digital world: Decision making in a technological world conference, The Open University of Israel, Ra'anana, 22.1.18.

Etgar, S. & Amichai- Hamburger, Y., Always on my mind: Does Smartphone Multitasking Affect Romantic Intimacy?. Invited talk, The research center for innovation in learning technologies seminar, The Open University of Israel, Ra'anana, 15.11.17.

Etgar, S. & Amichai- Hamburger, Y., Can different technological devices influence decision making processes?. The 26th Biennial Meeting of the European Association for Decision Making, Haifa, Israel, 22.8.17.

Etgar, S. & Amichai- Hamburger, Y., Can using smartphones influence decision making processes?. The 18th Genreral Meeting of the European Association of Social Psychology, Granada, Spain, 6.7.17.

Amichai-Hamburger, Y. & Etgar, S. Internet and Well-Being. 19th Sydney Symposium of Social Psychology, Sydney, Australia, 16.3.17.

Etgar, S. & Amichai-Hamburger, Y. iNTIMACY: Does Smartphone Multitasking Affect Romantic Intimacy?. Invited talk, communication faculty seminar, IDC, 17.5.16.

Sisso, I., Etgar, S., Ritov, I., The "time of occurrence" effect on counterfactual thoughts. Social Psychology PhD Students' Conference, Haifa, Israel, 18.12.14.

Etgar, S., Sisso, I. & Ritov, I., Counterfactuals are in the eye of the beholder: Perspective taking in counterfactual thinking. Society for Judgment and Decision Making, the 2014 35th Annual Conference, Long Beach, California, 23.11.14.

Sisso, I., Etgar, S., Ritov, I., It's all in the setting - The 'time of occurrence' effect on counterfactual thoughts. Society for Judgment and Decision Making, the 2014 35th Annual Conference, Long Beach, California, 23.11.14. 

Etgar, S., Klar, Y. & Chambers, J., Every group member is better than the others in the group: Is it because they are different from each other or similar to each other? JDM Pre- Conference, EASP General Meeting, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 8.7.14. 

Etgar, S., Klar, Y. & Chambers, J., Every group member is better than the others in the group: Is it because they are different from each other or similar to each other? the 17th Genreral Meeting of the European Association of Social Psychology, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 12.7.14.

Etgar, S., Klar, Y. & Chambers, J., Every group member is better than the others in the group: Is it because they are different from each other or similar to each other? the 15th Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Austin, Texas, 14.2.14.

Etgar, S. & Klar, Y., Every group member is better than the others in the group: Is it because they are different from each other or similar to each other?. Social Psychology PhD Students' Conference, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, 1.12.13.

Etgar, S. & Klar, Y., When does every group member can be above its groups' average? The ways different mechanisms influence social judgment. PhD Students' Conference on Judgment and Decision Making. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, 10.2.11.

Etgar, S., Eilon, T., Schori, N. & Klar, Y., Do I see the suffering on the other side of the fence as well?  Empathy and willingness to seek reparation for the people of Gaza among Southern Israelis exposed to rocket threats immediately following the Gaza Operation. Small Group Meeting of the European Association of Social Psychology (EASP): Resolving Societal Conflicts and Building Peace: Socio-Psychological Dynamics. Neve Ilan, Israel, 7.9.09.

European Association of Social Psychology (EASP)

Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP)

Society of Judgment and Decision Making (SJDM)


2016- Current: Lecturer in "Humans through Screens: Introduction to Internet Psychology", B.A. program,  Psychology department, Achva Academic College.
2016- Current: Instructor in "Leadership in the Digital Age", M.A. program, The Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya.
2016- Current: Instructor in "The Psychology of the Strategic Leadership in the Digital Age", M.A. program, The Sammy Ofer School of Communications, Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya.
2016- Current: Teaching Assistant in "Internet: Cultural and Social Aspects", B.A. program, The Sammy Ofer School of Communications, Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya.
2013- 2015:  Co-Lecturer in "Research Methods for Social Psychology", M.A. program, The School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University (Collaborate with Prof. Nira Liberman and Prof. Yechiel Klar).
2013- 2014:  Instructor in "Research Methods", B.A. program, The School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University.
2012- 2015:  Course Coordinator and Head of instructors in "Analysis of Variance and Computer Applications", B.A. program, The School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University.
In this position I led a team of 5-6 instructors and oversaw a class of ~300 B.A. students in an advanced statistics course, and reformed material studies and regulations to enhance learning experience and transparency.
2011- 2012:  Instructor in "Psychology of the Holocaust", B.A. program, Department of Psychology and Education, The Open University.
2010- 2015:  Instructor in "Analysis of Variance and Computer Applications", B.A. program, The School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University.
2009- 2012:  Teaching Assistant in "Research Methods", M.A. program, The Leon Recanati Graduate School of Business, Tel Aviv University.