relevant disciplines, study topics, methodologies
Psychology is the study of human behaviour and the cognitive, affective, social and cultural processes which underlie it and can make it develop, as well as their links with institutions and systems.
Psychology studies human behaviour per se and does so using methods which favour the individual level. Nevertheless, whether it be cognitive or affective, individual or collective, normal or pathological, behaviour takes place within the framework of social relationships, organisational and institutional structures which contribute to shaping it and giving it meaning and which are studied for this reason.
Research in psychology therefore interacts with a variety of disciplines such as biology, physiology, logic, linguistics, neuroscience and cognitive science in general but also with philosophy, sociology, anthropology, organisation theory or economics. It aims specifically to integrate these different elements and levels of description in order to describe, model, explain, predict or alter behaviour.
The Institute of Psychological Sciences is positioned within the field of human sciences, the members of the Institute use various approaches, essentially collective, comprehensive or interpretative ones.
Clinical and health psychology
Resarch projects focus on :
preventing, detecting and diagnosing psychic or psychosomatic suffering in children and adults; devising more holistic and positive behavioural and psychological processes through participatory approaches between researchers and practitioners in the field of health psychology.
Cognition and neurosciences
Research projects focus on understanding the link between brain functioning, cognitive functions and behaviour.
Developmental and educational psycholgy
Research projects focus on analysing the learning and lifelong personal development processes in ecological and social-cognitive approaches, which highlight the interactions between individuals and their environment and the perception they have about these interactions. Research projects aim to understand how people's experiences are built up in a given context (family, school, educational, professional,...), by analysing the interactions between the different levels of systems, defined by Bronfenbrenner.
These works are studying especially the effects of interventions, training methods, or pedagogical and teaching practices which may, under certain conditions, encourage motivation, the commitment of learners and thus the quality of their learning and development. This work is conducted in various fields: families, schools, CPMS, psycho-educational services, associations, higher education, adult training, vocational guidance,...
Social behavior, work and society
Research projects focus on understanding social behaviours, their background and their consequences, especially in the individual and group relationships, in the public space and in professional contexts.