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We study inter-individual differences in executive and socio-emotional functioning across the lifespan,
with implications for developmental science and legal psychology.
Prof Laura Visu-Petra
HEAD OF THE LAB
My research investigates the typical and atypical development of executive functions, relevant for developing training programs and for improving academic performance. A main current research interest is the emergence and development of deceptive behaviour in relation to the child’s socio-cognitive functioning (theory of mind, executive functions) and problematic behaviour (internalizing and externalizing symptoms). Other research projects target executive functioning and emotion-cognition interactions in high-anxious children (preschoolers and early school age), with implications for academic achievement (a focus on the role of Math anxiety in academic performance).
Contact: laurapetra@psychology.ro
Read more about Prof Laura Visu-Petra’s work here: https://riddlelab.ro/laura-petra/
Lect Lavinia Cheie
I am currently a researcher and a lecturer in typical and atypical developmental psychology and legal psychology, respectively. A long-standing research interest of mine has been identifying early cognitive vulnerabilities to later socio-emotional adjustment problems. Currently, my research is channelled into two main directions. The first direction line consists of investigating the links between individual differences in trait anxiety and memory (retrospective and prospective memory, with/without emotional information), and executive functioning. A second direction line consists of identifying early cognitive vulnerability factors associated with children’s maladjustment following a negative event (e.g., peer rejection, parental migration).
Contact: laviniacheie@psychology.ro
Read more about Lavinia Cheie’s work here: https://riddlelab.ro/lavinia-cheie/
Dr Narcisa Prodan
My research interests concern school-aged children’s ability to deceive others for a personal gain and their related sociocognitive development. The main focus of my research is on the relationship between children’s lying behavior and theory of mind in its most advanced forms (e.g. constructivist theory of mind). An alternative research interest of mine involves interviewing techniques used in legal context where children’s ability to offer truthful and valuable statements is dependent on the way in which the interview is conducted.
Contact: narcisaprodan@psychology.ro
Dr Maria Stefania Ionel
The main research interests focus on exploring the cognitive and affective benefits of practising sports in nature/outdoors and indoors, especially in sport climbing and bouldering as a tool to promote mental health. I am also interested in predictors of exceptional performance in rock climbing and Wilderness and Adventure Therapy approach.
Contact: mariastefaniaionel@psychology.ro
Dr Oana Mărcuș
My research looks at how individual differences in trait anxiety hinder cognitive flexibility (the ability to alternate between two different tasks) performance when emotional and non-emotional information is being processed. Within this research space, we also want to look at worry – to see if a specific type of worry (e.g., unproductive worry) explains the link between high anxiety and low cognitive flexibility in school-aged children. A more recent area of interest is focused on developing new adaptive training procedures to improve cognitive flexibility performance in adolescents.
Contact: oanamarcus@psychology.ro
Dr Daniela Teodora Seucan
My research investigates the link between theory of mind and deception in very young children. The development of morality in preschoolers – in relation with their theory of mind – is another main focus of my research. I am interested not only in children’s verbal deception but also in their behavioral deceptive strategies used to mislead the other in competitive and non-competitive situations. The practical area of my research seeks to develop strategies and programs that promote honesty in children.
Contact: danielaseucan@psychology.ro
PhD Candidate Mara Georgiana Moldoveanu
My main research interest is self-deception and false beliefs. More specifically, I am studying how self-deception is possible from a psychological perspective, what are the cognitive and affective mechanisms involved in the process of self-deception and what are the consequences of self-deception and its relationship with deception on our normal functioning and in applied matters, such as the legal field.
Contact: maramoldoveanu@psychology.ro
PhD Candidate Liliana Hurezan
The focus of my PhD research is on the relation between dark personality traits/ dark personality factor and emotional and empathic competencies in offenders. Specifically, I am interested in investigating the differences and similarities between prison and the general population in regard to dark traits (psychopathy, narcissism, Machiavellianism, cruelty, egoism, frustration, greed, moral disengagement, psychological entitlement, spitefulness, self-interest and sadism) and their common core – the dark factor of personality. Another area of interest concerns the emotional and empathic abilities of inmates (deficits linked to the dark factor of personality, association with criminal behaviour, and impact on socio-emotional functioning).
Contact: lili.hurezan@gmail.com
PhD Candidate Andreea Turi
My research is focused on understanding and exploring the link between personality traits and deception, in prison environments compared to the general population. As part of my PhD thesis, I investigate associations between normal personality traits, conceptualized as Dark Personality (D factor) and Big Five personality traits, in relation to maladaptive PID-5 personality traits, crime and the process of lie detection and lie production.
With regard to general deception ability, in prison environment, my research is focused on the association between prisoners’ ability to lie successfully and their ability to detect lies, in an interactive deception task, including detection accuracy, confidence judgments, attitudes toward deception and self-reported cues related to deception.
Contact: andreeaturi@psychology.ro
PhD Candidate Simina Cacuci
My main research interests include interviewing techniques in legal contexts and deception detection, with emphasis on analyzing the verbal cues of lying. My research investigates how various cultural factors, including bilingualism, might influence verbal deception detection. Another research topic I am pursuing concerns how Artificial Intelligence could be used for veracity assessment in legal contexts.
Contact: siminacacuci@psychology.ro
PhD Student Andreea Alexandra Bulbuc
My areas of interest concern the interindividual differences in authenticity, considering
it both as a disposition and a state and investigating its connection with dark personality traits, specifically subclinical antisocial personality traits such as those associated with the dark core of personality. My primary interest lies in understanding how these traits may disrupt the awareness of one's selfhood and influence the development of one’s self-concept, as well as the sense of continuity and clarity. I'm also interested in how individuals craft and present new narratives about past events, confirming or actualizing self-concepts while balancing authenticity and self-interest goals.
Contact: andreeabulbuc@psychology.ro
Current Volunteers
Albu Monica
Baicu Laura
Bratiloveanu Andreea
Coșa Teona
Darius Vîlcu
Dicu Ioana-Maria
Feier Maria-Sara
Gașpar Lorena
Goran Ioana-Anastasia
Luca Gabriela
Rîpeanu Raluca-Victoria
Solescu Daria
Stancu-Lăpuște Alexandra
Todea Oana-Ruth
Velicea Elena
Zetea Iasmina