Methodology of Psychological Research

The Department of Psychological Research Methodology is committed to developing and applying diverse methodological approaches, including fundamental innovations in psychological measurement, cognitive neuroscience, graphonomics, and psychometrics. The department's aim is to enhance the methodological rigour, validity and social relevance of psychological research through quantitative, qualitative and mixed research designs.

The department's research activities are developed in two interconnected areas. The first focuses on innovations in psychological measurement and diagnostics, including research in cognitive neuroscience and social cognition, digital diagnostics, and the analysis of graphomotor processes, as well as psychometric validation in applied fields such as sports and organisational psychology. This direction's practical output includes the DiaGraMo tool: computerised diagnostic software for assessing graphomotor difficulties in children.

The second direction focuses on psychological adaptation in the context of lifelong transitions and social challenges. It examines psychosocial environments and career development in education and other sectors; metacognitive interventions and human interaction with artificial intelligence in the fields of creativity and education; narrative approaches to coping with life challenges and resilience; and psychological adaptation and social trust, using mixed research methods.

The Department of Methodology uses qualitative and quantitative procedures synthetically, according to the nature of the phenomena under study and the type of data. The department provides methodological support to other teams within the institute and organises workshops that are open to a wider professional audience.

Current research

The department's research focuses on graphomotor development and diagnostics, the neurocognitive foundations of social cognition, the use of artificial intelligence in education and creativity, the psychosocial environment in organisations, and resilience in challenging life situations.

Members

Research group

In department of Research Methodology, there are currently the research group Graphonauts.

Ongoing projects

• Kateřina Machovcová, Petr Květon, Tomáš Urbánek: OP JAK NEXT: Směřování k excelenci: propojení špičkového výzkumu se strategickým rozvojem, (2025-2029), RIV
• Jiří Mudrák, Kateřina Zábrodská: OP JAC Social Sciences and Humanities: human and humanity in the present global challenges, Research on Peripheries to Strengthen the Resilience of Czech Society. Work package 2 -  Peripheries in education, (2026-2028), RIV
• Tomáš Urbánek, Iva Poláčková Šolcová: OP JAC Social Sciences and Humanities: human and humanity in the present global challenges, Social-Cultural Determinants of Circulation of Representations: The Impact on Human Mind and Strategies of Remediation. Participation in all research projects, (2025-2028), RIV
• Katarína Zvončáková: Grafomotorické dovednosti: Mezi zralostí a připraveností, (2025-2027), RIV
• Kristína Czekóová: Neurokognitivní základy sociální kognice a interpersonálního chování, (2025-2027), RIV
• Marek Urban: Learning with ChatGPT: why and how students employ ChatGPT in their school assignments, (2024-2026), RIV

Past projects

• Kateřina Zábrodská: SYRI NPO - program Exceles, The National Institute for Research on the Socioeconomic Impact of Diseases and Systemic Risks, Education and the effects of the pandemic 3., (2022-2025), RIV
• Lucie Zernerová: MindFlex: Psychological flexibility as a key personal resource in coping with work demands and promoting employee psychological health and well-being, (2023-2024)
• Tomáš Urbánek: Software for advanced diagnosis of graphomotor disabilities (2020-2023), RIV
• Tomáš Urbánek: Factors for reoffending and the process of desistance in the context of conditional release (2020-2023), RIV
• Kateřina Zábrodská: Excellent research between an individual, institution, and discourse: Collaborative construction of research productivity at research institutions (2020-2022), RIV
• Tomáš Urbánek: Standardization of Woodcock-Johnson IV test for population of Romani children (2019-2021), RIV
• Ivo Čermák: Creators of contemporary Czech psychology: personalities (contribution to oral history of the Czech psychology) (2019-2022), RIV
• Petr Květon: From functional overreaching to overtraining syndrome: The role of perfectionism and other psychological correlates in long-term perspective (2018-2020), RIV
• Jiří Mudrák: Developing academic excellence: A systemic approach to high achievement in early career academics (2017-2019), RIV
• Ivo Čermák: Severely Traumatized Girls: The Impact of Complex Interpersonal Trauma on Psychopathology of Personality in Adolescence (2016-2018), RIV
• Kristína Czekóová: Individual differences in self-other distinction (2015-2017), RIV
• Petr Květon: Psychological aspects of video game playing: three-generational study (2015-2017), RIV
• Kateřina Zábrodská: Work environment quality and employee well-being in public higher education (2014-2016), RIV
• Tomáš Urbánek: Personality traits as mediators of the cognitive training effectiveness (2013-2014), RIV
• Tomáš Urbánek: Complexity as an expression of the psychological life of an individual (2012-2014), RIV
• Tomáš Urbánek: Different versions of N-back task: comparing efficiency in improving fluid intelligence scores (2011-2012), RIV
• Kateřina Zábrodská: Bullying and Mobbing in Tertiary Education: Qualitative Methodology as a Research and Intervention Tool (2010-2012), RIV
• Tomáš Urbánek: Analysis of stories evoked by Thematic Apperception Test: quantitative and qualitative approaches (2009-2011), RIV
• Vladimír Chrz: Acting with the Inner Partner in Individual, Group and Cultural Contexts (2009-2011), RIV
• Martin Jelínek: The issues of polytomous IRT models in the field of psychology of personality and its implementation in the CATO software framework (2009-2011), RIV
• Miroslav Filip: Psychodiagnostics from a Perspective of the Personal Construct Theory (2009-2011), RIV
• Petr Květon: Potentials of computer adaptive testing based on IRT in the area of psychological assessment (2006-2007), RIV