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

Why the Belief That Our Nation Is Exceptional Ultimately Causes Us Stress

NewsFresh studies

The belief that one’s own nation is exceptional yet underappreciated by others lies at the heart of so-called national narcissism. Unlike patriotism, it is characterized by a sense of entitlement to recognition and a constant dissatisfaction with how that nation is perceived by the outside world. Previous research has shown that people with higher levels of national narcissism are more likely to experience stress or depressive symptoms, but it remained unclear which was the cause and which was the effect. A new study by our member Michal Mužík sought to capture how national narcissism and negative emotions influence each other over time.

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NewsFresh studies

Digitalization of Work and the Health of Older Employees: Does Technology Help or Harm?

The population is aging, and as a result, working lives are getting longer—people over 55 now make up a significantly larger share of the workforce in the European Union than they did twenty years ago. But the nature of work itself is also changing—digital technologies are increasingly becoming part of it, and a larger portion of work is being done from home. Digital technologies offer older employees a number of benefits, such as greater flexibility and less physically demanding tasks. On the other hand, they also carry risks—in particular, sitting in front of a screen for long periods can have negative consequences. A more detailed explanation of exactly how digitization affects the physical health of older workers is still lacking. However, this is precisely the focus of a new review article co-authored by Anna Ševčíková of INPSY.

NewsFresh studiesFor practitioners

What makes it easier—and what makes it harder—for therapists to track progress in therapy?

Ongoing monitoring of changes in psychotherapy, known as Routine Outcome Monitoring (ROM), has been gaining increasing attention in both research and practice in recent years. It is an approach that allows therapists to continuously monitor how clients are doing in therapy, how their symptom levels are changing, and how satisfied they are with the therapeutic relationship. Research shows that ROM can improve treatment outcomes, strengthen the therapeutic relationship, and help detect a worsening of the client’s condition in a timely manner. Nevertheless, it is used only rarely in routine practice. This is precisely the focus of a new study from the Centre for Psychotherapy Research, led by Klára Jonášová, which aims to systematically summarize what facilitates the implementation of ROM for therapists and what, conversely, complicates it.

NewsFresh studies

The Path Away from Faith: How One’s Material Upbringing Is Linked to the Loss of Faith in Adulthood

Why have people believed in God throughout the centuries, even though religion requires time and effort? And why, conversely, are modern societies gradually becoming more secular? A new study, in which our member Petr Palíšek participated, examined whether a family’s financial security during adolescence can predict how strongly young Americans will believe in God ten years later.

NewsFresh studiesFor practitioners

How do questionnaires measure? More response options may not improve psychological measurement

High-quality measurement is the foundation of nearly all psychological research—virtually no research on the human psyche can do without it, regardless of what it is studying. The vast majority of psychological studies rely on questionnaires in which respondents rate their traits using the so-called Likert scale, and the question of how many response options such a scale should have has accompanied researchers since the very beginning of its use. Although this may seem like a technical detail at first glance, the answer to this question can fundamentally influence how accurately and reliably questionnaires actually measure what they are intended to measure. A recent study by our colleagues Petra Hubatka, Hynek Cígler, and David Elek, published in the prestigious journal *Assessment*, addresses this very question.

Collaboration

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