The Psychology Research Institute (INPSY) is a specialized research institute at the Faculty of Social Studies at Masaryk University. Our research focus stems from a long-lasting interest in the topics of developmental, social and educational psychology, psychology of personality and psychology in the media. Strong methodological and statistical background allows us to perform quality basic and applied research and develop new psychodiagnostic methods.

We cooperate with the Department of Psychology at the FSS, Masaryk University. We participate in the teaching of students and at the same time, create conditions and opportunities for their involvement in existing research projects.

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Research Teams

Health, Media, and Sexuality

Measurement in Psychology

Gifted Children

Citizenship and Democracy

Early Development, Parenthood, and Attachment

Adolescents, Young Adults, and Identity

Center for Psychotherapy Research

Behaviors of Individuals and Groups Lab (BIG lab)

News

What Concerns Ukrainian Refugees in the Czech Republic? From an Acute Crisis to Everyday Worries

NewsFresh studiesFor parents and teachers

Since February 2022, millions of people have fled Ukraine and sought refuge in European Union countries. But this wasn’t just a matter of physical relocation – refugees also had to cope with uncertainty regarding housing, work, health care, and how they would be received in their new country. For many, social media became a place where they shared information, sought support, and collectively made sense of what they were going through. Less is known, however, about how these online conversations are changing as the refugee situation ceases to be an acute crisis and becomes a more long-term reality – and whether this transformation varies from country to country. This is precisely the focus of a new study, to which INPSY member Anna Ševčíková contributed.

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NewsFresh studies

A new tool for tracking clients' responses to therapy has proven effective in the Czech and Slovak versions

Tomáš Řiháček of the Center for Psychotherapy Research, together with Valentína Cviková, published a study in the journal Psychotherapy Research validating the psychometric properties of the Czech and Slovak versions of the brief Session Reactions Scale (SRS-3-B) questionnaire. This tool, consisting of just 14 items, is designed to help therapists systematically capture how clients experience individual sessions, in terms of both positive and unpleasant or inhibiting reactions. The analysis confirmed that the questionnaire has good psychometric properties – the individual items do not overlap, are correlated with other indicators of the therapeutic process, and are comparable across language versions. Furthermore, the authors demonstrated that, despite its brevity, the questionnaire captures most of the reactions that clients spontaneously recall after a session.

NewsFresh studiesFor parents and teachers

How Prejudices Spread Among Friends

Prejudice against ethnic and religious groups is a serious and widespread problem in today’s society, across countries and cultures. Research has long shown, however, that we do not form our attitudes toward other groups entirely on our own—they are also strongly influenced by the people around us, especially family and friends. Numerous studies have confirmed that friends’ levels of prejudice do indeed converge over time, but a key question remained unanswered: How significant is the impact of this socialization on the overall level of prejudice within a broader social network (such as a circle of friends or a school classroom)? Does friendship between people with different levels of prejudice tend to lead to a convergence of attitudes, or, conversely, to an increase in differences? A new study, in which our member Tibor Žingora participated, focused precisely on this question.

NewsFor practitioners

Social Pathologies of Contemporary Civilization: Call for Abstracts

The Department of Sociology at the Faculty of Social Studies (FSS) of Masaryk University (MUNI), in collaboration with INPSY, is helping to organize the 11th annual “Social Pathologies of Contemporary Civilization” conference, which will focus on contemporary forms of social pathologies, their causes, consequences, and possibilities for social transformation. Our member Simona Hendrychová is also a member of the local organizing committee. The conference is now accepting abstract submissions, which must be submitted by October 15, 2026. The conference will take place in Brno on May 20–21, 2027.

Artwork: Ladislava Gažiová, Ornament, 2025. Spray paint on canvas, 100×80 cm

NewsFresh studiesFor practitioners

Growing Up Near the Frontline: The Experiences of Ukrainian Adolescents and Their Parents' Perspective

How does living in close proximity to the frontline affect the mental well-being of adolescents, and how do their parents perceive their experiences? A new study by INPSY members Karel Rečka and Anna Ševčíková, alongside researchers from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, maps the everyday impacts of the conflict on families from Ukraine's hardest-hit regions. The findings reveal not only impaired emotional regulation and somatic symptoms of stress, but also a discrepancy between how safety and fear are perceived by children versus their parents.

Collaboration

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