The Institute of Experimental Psychology was established in 2016. The institute implements a research program in the field of experimental psychology that meets modern international standards.
The director of the institute is Vladimir Alexandrovich Barabanshchikov, Doctor of Psychological Sciences, Professor, and Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Education (RAE).
The main goal of the institute's activity is the study of the fundamental mechanisms of cognitive processes, human states, their activities, and communication.
Currently, the main tasks of the institute are:
- Organization and execution of experimental psychological research;
- Training students, postgraduate students, and interns in the fundamentals of modern instrumental experimentation;
- Development of the methodological base of experimental psychology;
- Development of objective methods for recording psychophysiological indicators during the perception of information products;
- Identification of age-related patterns and individual characteristics of the perception of information products;
- Studying the effectiveness of information and communication tools in teaching schoolchildren;
- Development of a methodology for the psychological and pedagogical expert evaluation of products for children.
The structure of the Institute includes:
Research and Educational Center "Experimental Psychology";
Oculography Laboratory;
Psychophysiology Laboratory;
Laboratory of Didactic VR Applications;
Department of General Psychology.
The material and technical base of the Institute consists of a multi-purpose, high-tech hardware and software complex, one of the most equipped in Russia.
It ensures the use of a wide range of methods and technologies for instrumental research, such as:
- Oculography;
- Polygraphy;
- Tachistoscopy;
- Registration of the brain's electrical activity;
- Virtual reality;
- Video registration;
- Psychophysical measurements, and others.
The work of the Institute is provided by highly qualified personnel of psychologists, programmers, and engineers.
A developed infrastructure based on competent engineering support ensures effective research activities.
Methodology of the work.
The work carried out is predominantly based on the provisions of the cognitive-communicative approach (B.F. Lomov, V.A. Barabanshchikov, V.N. Nosulenko).
Modern natural science methods of psychological research are used, such as:
oculography (eye movement registration), polygraph, neuro-computer interface, polypositional observation, and recording of psychophysiological indicators.
These instrumental methods are applied both in practice (diagnostics, counseling, therapy) and in fundamental research.
On the basis of the Institute of Experimental Psychology (IEP), a new modular-type practicum on experimental psychology has been developed.
It uses modern technical research tools, specialized software, and mathematical methods of data analysis and processing.
The practicum helps students master research tools and learn modern forms of telecommunication in educational and scientific activities.
Psychophysical assessment.
Students explore methods for measuring absolute and differential thresholds and subjective scaling of sensations.
The module demonstrates both the limits and expanded applications of psychophysical approaches.
Biometrics and chronometry.
Students study the integration of physiological and psychological methods and learn to record EEG, GSR, heart rate, and respiration.
This module illustrates interdisciplinary approaches in modern psychological research.
Eye movement registration.
Students examine the motor component of vision as an indicator of mental process dynamics (perception, attention, thinking).
Virtual reality.
Development of didactic VR applications.
Sensory transformation.
Experiments demonstrating mental processes during functional reorganization.
Video registration.
Teaching observation technologies, video data analysis, and coding based on theoretical models (e.g., the structure of activity).
The Institute cooperates with many scientific and educational institutions, including:
Faculty of Information Technologies of MSUPE;
Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IP RAS);
Psychological Institute of the Russian Academy of Education (PI RAE);
Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IBMP RAS);
Pavlov Institute of Physiology;
Yaroslavl State University;
Tomsk and Kazan Universities;
Bashkir State Medical University (Ufa).
The Institute also collaborates with professionals from medicine, law enforcement, and the Investigative Committee of Russia.
Education at the Institute.
Bachelor's program "Experimental Psychology".
Goal: To train specialists in experimental psychology able to professionally apply psychological knowledge and research skills in science.
Graduates are in demand in fields requiring:
- Organization and conduct of psychological experimental research of social and personal phenomena;
- Use of natural science psychological methods;
- Qualitative and quantitative assessment of behavior and psychophysiological data.
Master's program "Cognitive Psychology".
Goal: To train specialists in cognitive psychology who can professionally apply instrumental research and data analysis methods.
Graduates can work in academic and applied organizations, possessing:
- Skills for instrumental-psychological research;
- Computer modeling knowledge;
- Neurophysiological data analysis methods;
- Behavioral assessment techniques.
Master's program "Cognitive Sciences and Neurotechnologies".
Goal: To train masters in cognitive neuroscience and neurotechnologies who can use modern neuroimaging tools (fMRI, MEG, EEG, eye tracking) and data analysis methods.
Graduates are in demand in fields requiring:
- Skills in neuroimaging and psychophysiology methods;
- Abilities to solve applied and innovative research problems in neurotechnologies.
Postgraduate studies — specialty 5.3.1 "General psychology, personality psychology, history of psychology."
Scientific journal.
The IEP publishes the scientific journal "Experimental Psychology" (Editor-in-Chief — V.A. Barabanshchikov).
Founded in 2008, published quarterly, and included since 2010 in the list of journals recommended by the Higher Attestation Commission and indexed in WoS and Scopus databases.
Under the editorship of V.A. Barabanshchikov, monographs and collections of works on experimental psychology have been prepared and published.
The experience of the IEP and the state of modern science show great potential for further development of experimental psychology in Russia.
The IEP is a regular participant in research projects funded by major scientific foundations:
- Russian Science Foundation (RSF), project No. 25‑18‑00885 "Real and virtual intellectual event in solving complex problems";
- Russian Science Foundation (RSF), project No. 24‑18‑00904 "Mechanisms of perception of a person's emotional state in non-verbal communication".
- Research and Educational Center of Experimental Psychology
- Laboratory for Neurocognitive Research of Individual Experience
- Department of General Psychology