Department of Research Methodology

The researchers of the Department of Research Methodology systematically work on the development of methods that are used in psychological studies of our Institute, as well as on general development of methods which can enrich psychology as a discipline. Some of these methods are used in many scientific disciplines, some are unique to the field of psychology, such as psychometrics or psychological assessment methods.

The quantitative methods and methods of statistical data analysis that are used most often are methods of multidimensional statistics, such as different ways of multidimensional or optimal scaling, cluster analysis, regression and factor analysis or structural modelling. In the practice of psychological assessment, the research of computer versions of traditional tests and questionnaires can be used; including the Computer Adaptive Testing based on the Item Response Theory.

The qualitative approaches that are developed in our department are anchored in narrative methodology and the semiotic approach to qualitative data. Studies of these methods focus on the validity of these approaches in relation to understanding the phenomena examined. The narrative mode of organisation of individuals’ personal experience, construction of their reality and forming of their personal identity is studied predominantly in relation to the subjective understanding of an individual’s life span. The hermeneutic-narrative approach integrates the personal, cognitive, and methodological perspectives.

We aim to use the qualitative and quantitative approaches in a synthetizing manner, based on the approaches that are most suitable to a specific type of data. When needed, qualitative approaches are used to generate data that might be suitable for a quantitative analysis. This approach is relevant for example within psychosemantic methods.

Members

Ongoing projects

• Marek Urban: Learning with ChatGPT: why and how students employ ChatGPT in their school assignments, (2024-2026), RIV
• 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)

Past projects

• 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