Laboratory of Personality and Social Environment

The "Person and Social Environment" research laboratory was founded in 2011 and operates within the Chair of Personality Psychology of the YSU Faculty of Philosophy. Since 2023, it has continued its activities as a separate unit within the Research Center of Psychology.

The main directions of laboratory research are:

  • localization of modern personality study questionnaires and development of questionnaires in Armenian,

  • Studying the values, beliefs, and identification tendencies of a person in the conditions of socio-cultural change,

  • cross-cultural study of different personal characteristics and cultural orientations within the framework of international cooperation.

International research projects

  1. Throughout the activity, the laboratory's research team has carried out a number of cross-cultural studies with researchers from different universities around the world, such as:

  2. "Cross-Cultural Study of Values" (project coordinator: Professor Shalom Schwartz of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem),

  3. "Subjective well-being and personality characteristics" (project coordinator: Professor Magdalena Zemojtel Piotrowska of the Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University),

  4. "Narcissism and self-esteem" (project coordinator: Professor Jochen Gebauer of the University of Mannheim),

  5. "Gender harmony" (project coordinator: Professor Natasza Kosakowska-Berezecka of the University of Gdańsk (Poland),

  6. "Climate change denial" (project coordinator: Professor Nartova-Bochaver of the National Research University "Higher School of Economics" in Moscow),

  7. "Exploring social perceptions of the responsible/agents of the Covid-19 pandemic and the variables related to their behavior" (coordinators: Patrick Kotzur, Durham University, Maria-Therese Friehs, FernUniversität in Hagen).

  8. A Cross-Cultural Study of "Personal, Emotional and Cognitive Factors Underlying Responses to Covid-19" (Project Coordinator: Magdalena Żemojtel-Piotrowska (Cross-cultural Psychology Center, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University Warsaw, Poland).

  9. "International Study of Metanorms" (project coordinator: Malardalen University, Professor Kimmo Eriksson, Institute for Future Studies): the cooperation took place within the framework of two research channels,

  10. "Global Study of Everyday Norms" (project coordinator: Malardalen University, Professor Kimmo Eriksson of the Institute for Future Studies, Global Network for the Study of Social Norms),

  11. "Cultures of dignity, respect and not losing face" (project coordinator: Professor Peter Smith of the University of Sussex, United Kingdom),

  12. "The study of the role of individual differences in sensitivity to (in) justice in the context of historical trauma" (foreign coordinators of the project Anna Baumert (Wuppertal University, Germany), Mengyao Li (Queen's University Belfast), Armenian coordinator: Ani Grigoryan),

  13. A cross-cultural study of people's beliefs about the "war" (prof. Magdalena Żemojtel-Piotrowska, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in WarsawPoland, Cross-Cultural Psychology Center),

  14. A cross-cultural study of socio-psychological factors underlying collective action (social dominance, group threat, prejudice, support for political issues, etc.) (Coordinators: Jonas R. Kunst & Milan Obaidi, University of Oslo, Tomek Besta, University of Gdańsk),

  15. "Investigating the motivations of behavior aimed at climate protection: international project involving multiple labs" (coordinators: Kimberly Doell, University of Vienna, Madalina Vlasceanu, New York University),

  16. "(In) Alienable Worth? The Prevalence of Cultural Logics of Dignity, Honor, and Face and their Links to Prosociality across the World" // Project with Psychological Science Accelerator (PSA), supported by the John Templeton Foundation (JTF) (leader: Lusine Grigoryan, University of York, and co-leader: Ani Grigoryan).

Grant programs

  • Values, beliefs, and social behavior: dynamics and characteristics in modern Armenian society (ASCN grant program, 2011-2013).

  • Personality and social behavior. Short-term and long-term psychological consequences of COVID-19 in Armenia (Science Committee, Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports 2020-2023).

  • Subjective well-being of young learners in emerging adulthood (Science Committee, Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, 2020-2022).

  • Affiliation, influence, and civic (no) action: the understanding of citizenship in post-revolutionary and (post)war Armenia from a socio-psychological point of view (Higher Education and Science Committee, Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, Grant for the establishment of Remote Laboratories, 2023-2028).

Localized, developed questionnaires

During the laboratory's research activities, a number of widely used methodologies in modern personality psychology were localized and developed in the Armenian language:

 

  • The "Big Five" questionnaire (short and long versions) is designed to study the five main personality factors (Extroversion, Neuroticism, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Open-mindedness).

  • The "Six-Factor Personality Questionnaire (HEXACO)" is designed to examine six factors of personality description (honesty/modesty, emotionality, extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and open-mindedness).

  • DARK TRIAD DIRTY DOZEN questionnaire for the study of narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellian personality traits.

  • The Personal Values ​​Questionnaire (PVQ) examines a person's ten basic values ​​(conformity, traditionalism, volition, universalism, independence, stimulation, hedonism, achievement, power, and security).

  • Individualism-Collectivism Cultural Dimensions. The questionnaire examines four cultural dimensions (vertical and horizontal individualism, and vertical and horizontal collectivism).

  • Questionnaire for the study of "Cultural dimensions of dignity, respectability, not losing face".

  • The social Axioms Measurement Questionnaire is designed to examine five social axioms (social cynicism, complexity of social life, reward for effort, religiosity, and control of destiny).

  • The Personal Well-Being Index (PWI) is a questionnaire aimed at examining a person's level of satisfaction with various areas of life.

  • The Mental Health Continuum-Short Version (MHC-SF) is designed to examine personal, social, and emotional well-being.

  • Questionnaire for the Study of Positive and Negative Emotional Affects (PANAS).

Address: Republic of Armenia, Yerevan, 0025, 1 Alex Manoogian (+37460) 710000 info@ysu.am