Prof. Dr. Stephen Fleming Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, UK

Mapping the introspective mind: Neural and computational architectures for metacognition

Being able to reflect on and report our experiences – being self-aware of our mental states – is a defining feature of being human. Indeed, the birth of experimental psychology in the 19th century was characterised by a focus on introspection – the examination or observation of one’s own mind. Introspection was jettisoned when it was realised that it alone cannot provide reliable data on how our minds work, and 20th century psychologists shifted their focus to behaviour and information processing. In recent decades, a second wave of tools and techniques have been developed to systematically characterise dissociations between performance and metacognition, and place introspection on a rigorous scientific footing. In my talk I will survey progress in this endeavour, describing new findings on a) the structure of metacognition across distinct task domains, b) computational frameworks for the formation of metacognitive (confidence) judgments, and c) how metacognition is supported by the human brain.

Prof. Dr. Chantal Martin Sölch, Ireach Lab, Unit of Clinical and Health Psychology Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg

The science behind resilience: insights from neuroclinical research

Mental disorders stand as significant contributors to global disability rates. Despite advancements in understanding their origins, the reasons behind the divergence between individuals who develop mental disorders in the face of adversity and those who do not remain elusive. In this context, uncovering resilience mechanisms becomes pivotal. Enhanced comprehension of these mechanisms facilitates the targeted creation of interventions for populations at risk. Certain risk factors for mental disorder emergence have been well-identified, such as childhood abuse and early adverse experiences. Another extensively studied risk factor involves having parents afflicted by mental health conditions, notably depression, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia. Resilience can be defined as an individual’s ability to effectively adapt to severe events and maintain healthy functioning by leveraging internal resources. Advances in neuroscience have shed light on this concept, suggesting that neurocognitive and neuroaffective factors, such as cognitive flexibility and responsiveness to stress or reward, may contribute to resilience. These factors are intertwined with well-defined brain systems that hold significance for human motivation and adaptability.Within the realm of this exploration, our research lab, the IReach lab at the Department of Psychology, University of Friburg, is particularly interested on the interplay between stress and reward, elucidating their roles in comprehending disorder development from a transdiagnostic perspective rooted in clinical neuroscience findings. This presentation will give an overview of current research in this field, alongside its implications for clinical practice and psychological interventions.

Prof. dr. sc. Denis Bratko, Odsjek za psihologiju, Filozofski fakultet, Sveučilište u Zagrebu

Što genetika ponašanja može učiniti za vas, a niste se sjetili pitati?

Genetika ponašanja bavi se pitanjem etiologije individualnih razlika u fenotipovima koji se iskazuju u ponašanju. Veličina genetičkog efekta izražava se indeksom heritabilnosti (h2) koji je po svojem smislu usporediv s veličinama efekata koji se u eksperimentalnim ili korelacijskim istraživanjima izražavaju drugim statisticima. Stoga će prvi dio predavanja obuhvatiti pregled istraživanja heritabilnosti bihevioralnih fenotipova s naglaskom na osobine ličnosti i kognitivne varijable, te usporedbu nalaza istraživanja provedenih metodama klasične genetike ponašanja (npr. metodom blizanaca) i molekularno-genetičkim metodama (npr. GWAS metodom). Prikazat će se sustavne razlike rezultata koji se dobivaju navedenim metodama i ponuditi model za njihovo objašnjenje, komentirati problem kauzalnosti u području genetike ponašanja, te predložiti jedan od mogućih smjerova za buduća istraživanja. Drugi dio predavanja posvetit će se demonstraciji potencijala bihevioralno genetičke metodologije u testiranju različitih teorija, modela i konceptualizacija. Naime, najmanje dva elementa bihevioralno genetičke metodologije – i) lociranje izvora individualnih razlika u područje genetskih (aditivnih i neaditivnih) i okolinskih (dijeljenih i nedijeljenih) faktora; te ii) multivarijatna genetička analiza koja omogućuje testiranje modela o zajedničkoj etiologiji različitih fenotipova – imaju neprepoznat potencijal u različitim drugim područjima psihologije. Na nekoliko primjera iz područja istraživanja rodnih razlika, psihologije motivacije, psihologije ličnosti, socijalne psihologije, psihologije obrazovanja, evolucijske psihologije te kliničke psihologije pokazat će se kako metode genetike ponašanja mogu doprinijeti razvoju navedenih područja psihologije. Stoga će se predložiti put kojim se genetika ponašanja može integrirati u druga područja psihologije.