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.

History of the Institute Open Science Collaborate with us

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

News

How do historical events influence our personal memories—and why do some leave no trace in them?

NewsFresh studiesFor parents and teachers

In life, we sometimes witness events that transcend everyday life and go down in history. These historical events, such as the floods of 2002 or the Soviet occupation of 1968, are often remembered by society. However, they can also shape and influence the personal stories of individuals. Sometimes they affect everyday life so much that they become significant landmarks in time for people – they then organize their memories of their own lives and relate them to these events. This phenomenon is known as the Living in History effect. A new study, led by Lenka Štěpánková from INPSY, examines whether two key milestones in the recent history of our region – the Velvet Revolution in 1989 and the division of Czechoslovakia in 1993 – also triggered a similar effect.

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NewsFresh studiesFor parents and teachers

We remember our youth fondly, according to a new study

Autobiographical memories, i.e., memories about ourselves, are an important part of our lives. They help us shape our own identity and show us which moments we consider fundamental and important to our life story. But do we remember the past more in a positive or negative light? This is the focus of a new study by our members Lenka Štěpánková and Standa Ježek.

NewsFresh studiesFor practitioners

When psychotherapy hurts: what we know about clients' negative experiences

Psychotherapy has been proven to help – but not every experience with it is healing. An overview article by Z. Vybíral, T. Řiháček, P. Borovička, and B. Oglese summarizes how clients describe negative experiences, how often they occur, who is more at risk, and what this means for practice. The term "negative experiences" encompasses everything from temporary worsening of symptoms to feelings of misunderstanding to boundary violations from the client's perspective. Although therapy helps most people, long-term reviews show that approximately 5-10% of clients experience an increase in symptoms after therapy and that client dissatisfaction has long been neglected in clinical studies. This is precisely what the team from the Center for Psychotherapy Research at INPSY focused on.

NewsFresh studiesFor practitioners

How can we reliably measure children's well-being? Czech research provides answers

Well-being can be understood as an overall state of well-being that combines emotions, relationships, a sense of achievement, and meaningful activities. It is an experience in which a person perceives their life as good and fulfilling. Monitoring mental well-being is particularly important in children – good well-being strengthens motivation to learn, contributes to better school results, helps develop healthy relationships, and acts as a protection against anxiety and depression. If the concept of mental well-being is to be used in research, prevention, and practice, we need tools that can reliably capture how children actually perceive their well-being.

NewsFor parents and teachersINPSY in media

Love, Likes, and Loneliness: The Upsides and Downsides of Gay Dating Apps

Gay dating apps have become an essential tool in Czechia for queer people to meet, seek relationships, and find community - especially where safe offline spaces are lacking. In a new article for Brno Daily, Ondřej Musil focuses on how these apps affect the lives of their users and shows why, for many queer people, apps are often the only way to meet people, but also a source of frustration and loneliness. The article describes not only the benefits, such as anonymity and the possibility of quick connections, but also the risks in the form of discrimination, pressure to look a certain way, and addiction.