Our Thematic Labs

The HCB aims to contribute to HEI-Lab goals by applying the principles of Cognitive-behavioral framework to study human behavior in virtual reality environments. The focus is placed on investigating the cognitive processes underlying main behavioral functions, both in typical and non-typical populations, with special focus on neuropsychology, forensics and clinical psychology areas.

Teresa Souto

Primary Investigator

Pedro J. Rosa

Célia Oliveira

José Teles

Jorge Oliveira

Rita Conde

Pedro Gamito

Bruno Faustino

 

Rita Pasion

 

The main objective of the Psychopathology and Human Change Lab is the development of research in the area of psychopathology, involving multiple life domains and contexts. We take advantage of several methodological approaches as qualitative and quantitative methods in psychology, including virtual reality, in pursuing the study of humans more comprehensively. The general theoretical background of the Psychopathology and Human Change Lab is based on Cognitive-behavioural Therapy and their recent developments, Developmental Psychopathology, and Ecological theories.

Ricardo Pinto

Primary Investigator

Sara Albuquerque

Ana Beato

Ágata Salvador

Bárbara Gonzalez

Isabel Santos

Dulce Pinto

Cátia Oliveira

 

Paula Paulino

 

Teresa Mendes

 

Bruno Faustino

 

Tânia Gaspar

 

This Lab is devoted to studying human interpersonal relationships as a core process of human development across developmental systems and lifespan. We are primarily interested in examining how close/primary relationships (e.g., dating/marital partner, siblings, parent-child, parent-parent, kin members, family system, peers) are transactionally related to developmental pathways and risk/protection on human adaptation. In particular, the Lab researchers address the etiopathology mechanisms that mediate the association between all forms of conflict, aggression, and violence in close interpersonal relationships and the emergence of adaptation problems. Under developmental, evolutionary, systemic, and socio-developmental frameworks, our research efforts are also focused on designing and evaluating psychological interventions to promote, prevent, or treat close interpersonal relationships across clinical, forensic, and health settings.

Olga Cunha

Primary Investigator

Ana Rita Cruz

Inês Jongenelen

Carla Antunes

Célia Ferreira

Andreia Machado

Carolina da Motta

 

Dulce Pinto

 

Tiago Pinto

 

Diogo Lamela

 

Stephanie Alves

 

Raquel Costa

 

TOur research group investigates how individuals think and behave in social situations, from interpersonal to intergroup interaction, considering environmental cues and the cultural context in which these interactions occur. To study these interactions, we combine studies using traditional techniques with studies that take advantage of digital technology and virtual reality environments. We conduct theoretical and empirical investigations based on social cognition and theories of intergroup relations.

Leonor Costa

Primary Investigator

Ana Rita Farias

Ana Loureiro

Joana Cabral

Sílvia Luis

Maria José Ferreira

The Playful Interaction Design Lab is a multidisciplinary gathering of researchers at the crossroads of the newly-expanded fields of play design and interaction design. Play has expanded beyond games and continues to become more embedded in everyday life and spaces. Interaction is more playful than ever. Design improves effective and engaged interactions. A multiplicity of new experiences, spaces, and understandings has become available. Play, Design, and Interaction are closer to indistinguishable than ever, and hold significant implications in affective computing, artificial intelligence, procedural content generation, adaptivity, embodiment, design research, and the internet of things. These are all aspects of the future of interaction, which warrant a renewed “future-proofing” interdisciplinary research perspective as a multiplicity of new experiences, spaces, and understandings have become increasingly available. The Playful Interaction Design Lab aims to study the new expanded realities of these topics, harness the potential of their heightened interconnectedness for novel social and cultural interventions, and find new, relevant expressions in an ever-more playful, embodied world. We are interested in building theoretical and empirical bridges between virtual playful experiences and how players feel and interact with virtual experiences from an emotional and interactive perspective. Moreover, we intend to develop a relevant model for agency in games, opening up further avenues of research in media and research in games in a range of applications.

Pedro Neves

Primary Investigator

Micaela Fonseca

Filipe Luz

João Sousa

Phil Lopes

Andreia Sousa