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Applied Psychology Research Laboratory
Mission
To analyse the social, economic, demographic, geopolitical, cultural, religious, communication-related, educational, biological, and psychological factors of psychological well-being in order to promote individual and societal flourishing.
The Applied Psychology Research Laboratory specialises in applied psychological research that contributes to the creation of new knowledge for the advancement of science, as well as knowledge relevant to society, practitioners, policymakers, and the wider community. It aims to bridge the gap between theoretical research and applied practice by providing evidence-based solutions to real-world problems.
Vision
To become a comprehensive national and international centre for research on psychological well-being and services to society, contributing to the development of an innovative, safe, inclusive, sustainable, and compassionate society.
Objectives:
- To investigate the prevalence of environmentally sustainable behaviour in the Lithuanian population; to examine the relationships between environmentally sustainable behaviour and contextual, moral, and personal factors, habits, and intentions (e.g. beliefs, values, norms, identity, etc.) in the Lithuanian population; to develop and implement intervention programmes aimed at promoting environmentally sustainable behaviour.
- To investigate the prevalence of childhood sexual abuse in the Lithuanian population; to develop instruments aimed at improving the quality of interviews with children and to provide training for practitioners working with children who have experienced violence.
- To analyse post-traumatic growth among women who have experienced domestic violence and the factors associated with it, and to provide recommendations for practitioners counselling women who have experienced violence.
- To analyse individual differences in the risks and consequences of friendship instability among pupils transitioning from primary to secondary school, with the aim of identifying factors associated with friendship dissolution and examining how they affect children’s social and academic success.
- To organise seminars and discussion groups aimed at disseminating scientific knowledge to the academic community and practitioners; to prepare scientific publications for high-level international journals; to cooperate with other research centres in Lithuania and abroad working on topics related to the Laboratory’s areas of interest; and, together with partner institutions, to develop and implement programmes and projects aligned with the objectives of TPTL.
Priority Research Areas:
- Analysis of factors associated with environmentally sustainable behaviour and the development and implementation of interventions aimed at promoting such behaviour.
- Understanding and prevention of psychological factors associated with various forms of violence.
- Understanding the interactions between adaptation, positive development, and parenting practices among children of different ages.
Project Title: Empowering societal resilience by uncovering the mechanism of the link between ecological anxiety and environmentally friendly consumption.
Project No. P-VIS-23-8-PATIKSLINTA
Project Implementation Period: 2023-09-01 – 2026-06-30
Funding Source: Competitive Priority Research Programme “Strengthening Societal Resilience and Crisis Management in the Context of Contemporary Geopolitical Events”.
More about the project: https://encore.mruni.eu/
Project Leader: Prof. Dr. Rita Žukauskienė.
Project Title: Navigating through the secondary school: The role of friends and parents (NAVIGATE).
Project No. 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-17-0009.
Project Implementation Period: 2020-05-01 – 2023-04-30.
Funding Source: EU Investment Funds.
More information: http://navigate.mruni.eu/
Project Leader: Prof. Dr. Rita Žukauskienė.
Project Title: Uncovering Child Sexual Abuse: Assessment of Life-time Prevalence and Development of Lithuanian version of Simulated Interview Software (EIT) (UNCOVABUSE).
Project No. 01.2.2-LMT-K-718-03-0067.
Project Implementation Period: 2020-07-15 – 2023-08-15.
Funding Source: EU Investment Funds.
More information: http://uncovabuse.mruni.eu/
Project Leader: Prof. Dr. Rita Žukauskienė.
Project Title: The relationship between adolescent sexual identity and psychosocial functioning over a one-year period.
Project No. 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-23-0210.
Project Implementation Period: 2021-06-22 – 2023-06-21.
Funding Source: EU Investment Funds.
Project Title: Go Green: Understanding the psychological mechanisms of the development of proenvironmental behavior in the context of longitudinal intervention.
Project No. 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-01-0017
Project Implementation Period: 2017-12-27 – 2021-06-26
More about the project: http://gogreen.mruni.eu/
Project Leader: Prof. Dr. Rita Žukauskienė.
Project Title: Identity and post-traumatic growth in female survivors of intimate partner violence: the role of resilience, coping and social support.
Project No. S-MIP-17-132.
Project Implementation Period: 2017-10-12 – 2019-09-30.
Funding Source: Research Council of Lithuania (LMT), Researcher Group Projects.
Project Leader: Prof. Dr. Rita Žukauskienė.
Project Title: Identity development among adolescents and emerging adults in Lithuania and Japan.
Project No. LJB-5/2015 LJB-15-001.
Project Implementation Period: 2015-10-01 – 2017-09-31.
Funding Source: Research Council of Lithuania (LMT), Lithuania–Japan Programme.
Project Leader: Prof. Dr. Rita Žukauskienė.
Head of the Laboratory:
Prof. Dr. Rita Žukauskienė
Members:
Prof. Dr. Goda Kaniušonytė
Dr. Aistė Bakaitytė-Bagdonė
Dr. Gintautas Katulis
Dr. Aleksandr Segal
Faustas Antanaitis
Jūratė Laukytė
Vaiva Rimienė