VISUAL COGNITION & EMOTION LAB
At the VICE lab, we investigate human visual cognitive processes and we are interested in basic visual processes that tap into the domain of attention and working memory. We are interested in exploring how emotions influence these domains and processes, with a special focus on how emotions - and threatening stimuli in particular - affect visual attentional processes. We find having both practical and theoretical implications of our experiments important. Thus, we aim to study pathology-related special groups, such as people with special phobias. As part of this effort, we also do research regarding the connections, background mechanisms, and characteristic behaviors of various phobias and anxiety disorders.
Further, we also aim to develop a more detailed theoretical understanding of the visual cognitive processes underlying these concepts. In doing so we use convergent techniques: classic behavioral paradigms and modern tools, including eye-tracking, pupillometry, and psychological measures. Our overarching goal is to contribute to a better understanding of how our mind works and how we perceive the world.
The lab currently has five graduate students and several more undergraduate research assistants (see below for current lab members and the alumni tab for previous lab members). We have collaborations within the University of Pécs (Institute of Psychology, Department of Behavioural Sciences), other institutions in Hungary (e.g. Eötvös Loránd University), and abroad (e.g. University of the Azores, Portugal; New Mexico State University, US; Charles University, Czech Republic; University of Southampton, UK; Florida State University, US; Chulalongkorn University, Thailand).
If you are interested in collaborative research, becoming a Research Assistant or PhD Student working on your BA/MA thesis in the lab, or interested in our Postdoc position drop us a line.
MEMBERS
Dr. Zsidó András Norbert
Lab Director
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Andras is a senior research fellow at the University of Pécs, Hungary; where he also received his PhD in 2019. His research interests fall under the broad heading of visual cognition, particularly research into visual attention. His other research interests include the development and refinement of psychometric tests and specific phobias. His primary work focuses on attention, with an emphasis on human visual processing. In his research, he mostly relies on standard behavioral measurements (e.g., reaction time, questionnaires), but he is also a member of a research group utilizing eye-tracking and physiological measures (e.g. galvanic skin response).
Publications:
Email: zsido.andras@pte.hu
Job title: Lab Director
Carlos M. Coelho
Associate professor
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Carlos is an associate professor at the University of the Azores, Portugal, where he specializes in the study of fear, phobias, and anxiety disorders. He completed his PhD in 2005. His research interests focus on understanding the mechanisms underlying these conditions, as well as developing effective interventions. Carlos primarily employs behavioral assessments, psychometric tools, and physiological measures in his research. His work aims to bridge theoretical insights with practical applications to improve mental health outcomes.
Publications:
E-mail: carlos.sm.coelho@uac.pt
Dr. Diana T. Pakai-Stecina
Postdoc
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Diana graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from University of Pécs in 2017 and earned her master's degree in Psychology in 2019. Her research interest lies in the field of cognitive psychology, more specifically in chemical and behavioural addictions, visual attention and threat perception. The main topics of her work so far have been the perception of evolutionary and modern threatening stimuli placed in different contexts, nicotine addiction and the question of why it might be harder for women to quit smoking, and the effects of digital media and problematic internet use. She plans to continue researching the topics of threat perception and digital media usage during her PhD years, mainly from the point of view of their effect on visual attention, using technologies such as eye-tracking and peripheral measuring devices.
Diana has succesfully defended her PhD thesis in our lab in 2024. She is currently looking for a permanent position in Germany.
Publications:
Email: stecina.diana@pte.hu
Job title: Doctoral Candidate
Cintia Bali
Assistant lecturer
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Cintia graduated with her master's degree in Psychology from the University of Pécs in 2020. Cinta's research interest lies in the usage of Information and Communication Technology devices in the field of education. Within this area, she is especially concerned about the electronic storybooks’ effects on information processing among preschoolers. In her future work, she intends to examine the performance of children with special needs - e.g. risk of Attentional Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - while they are using these multimedia devices.
Cintia is an assistant lecturer and is currently working on her PhD thesis in our lab.
Publications:
Email: bali.cintia@pte.hu
Job title: Assistant lecturer
Botond Kiss
Assistant reseatch fellow
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Botond received his BA and MA in psychology at the University of Pécs in 2020 and 2022, respectively. Botond studies the unique characteristics of specific phobias such as animal phobias and blood-injury-injection phobias. He uses survey methods and behavioral experiments.
Botond started his PhD studies in the fall of 2022 and is currently a fellow research assistant in our Lab.
Publications:
Email: kiss.botond@pte.hu
Job title: Assistant research fellow
Julia Basler
Assistant lecturer
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Julia received her BA and MA degrees in psychology at the University of Pécs in 2020 and 2022, respectively. She is mostly interested in cognitive biases related to social phobia and social anxiety. She uses emotional facial and body expressions in her research. She also plans to use VR technology in future research.
Julia is currently a PhD student in the lab.
Publications:
Email: basler.julia@pte.hu
Job title: PhD Student
Otília Csonka
PhD Student
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Otília is currently a PhD student at the University of Pécs where she acquired her BA degree in 2022 and her MA degree in 2024. She is now leading the research project about supernatural fears. Her main interest lies in supernatural fears, and her future plan is to study other unusual phobias and anxieties.
Otília has succesfully defended her MA thesis (in clinical and health psychology) at our lab where she focused on the background mechanisms of emetophobia and how it affects cognition of related objects.
Job title: Research assistant
Bahtiyar Yildiz
PhD Student
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Bahtiyar received his BA degree in psychological counselling at the Çukurova University and his MA degree at the University of Pécs with the degree of distinction. He started his PhD studies at the University of Pécs in 2023 and is conducting his research at our lab. His research focuses on astraphobia and how it affects visual cognition towards related stimuli (thunderstorms, lighting, etc.). He also considers including VR in later research.
Publications:
Job title: PhD Student
Brigitta Váradi-Borbás
PhD Student
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Brigitta is a PhD student at Eötvös Loránd University. She obtained her Research Master's degree in Psychopathology at Maastricht University in 2020. Her drive for conducting research is to improve the understanding of phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorder by finding out more about the psychopathology of these conditions. In her PhD project, she aims to investigate the relationship of control-related cognitions (sense of control and desire for control) and safety behaviors, with special attention to superstitious behaviors and magical thinking. Her other research interests lie within examining the characteristics and correlates of the current subtypes of specific phobias and OCD; investigating and categorizing the motivators of repetitive behaviors in different mental disorders; and determining which factors can influence to what extent an anxiety disorder interferes with the daily life of people.
Brigitta is currently on maternity leave.
Job title: PhD Student
Atakan M. Akil
Doctoral Candidate
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Atakan is a PhD candidate at Eötvös Loránd University and is currently working in our lab as a research assistant. His research focuses on the brain mechanisms underlying self-regulation, including aspects such as attention and inhibitory control.
Atakan is currently working on his PhD thesis in our lab and at Eötvös Loránd University.
Publications:
Email: atakan.akil@pte.hu
Job title: Doctoral Candidate
Hanna Baranyai
MA Student
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Hanna is currently a first-year MA student (cognitive psychology) at the University of Pécs, where she acquired her BA degree in 2023. She assists with the ongoing supernatural fears research project. Her main interest includes the supernatural and different phobias, and also autism and ADHD in adults.
Job title: MA Student
Anna Aszódi
Research assistant
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Anna was already a member of the lab when she was studying at the University of Pécs during her BA years. She has been involved in the Supernatural fears project for four years. She is currently pursuing her MA studies at BME and continues to assist in research.
Job title: Research Assistant
Blanka Pál
Research assistant
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I am in the final year of my BA and working towards continuing my Cognitive Psychology MA. My main interest is habituation, cognitive emotional regulation, and the factors that can influence our stress reactions. I find it interesting, how some aspects of our personality can change how we react to negative stimuli, and the different outcomes it can create. I am also working on research about the relationship between morbid curiosity and true crime, and their effect on attention and anxiety control.
Job title: Research assistant
Zsuzsanna Fehér
Junior Research assistant
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I am a second-year BA student, my main interest lies in how technology affects attention and shapes various cognitive functions. I am currently working on a project which analyzes the importance of older adults' ICT usage.
Job title: Junior Research assistant
Lilla Bea
MA Student
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Lilla is currently an MA student (clinical and health psychology) at the University of Pécs where she acquired her BA degree in 2022. She currently assists in a research project about supernatural fears.
Job title: MA Student
Visual Cognition and Emotion Lab
H-7624 Pécs, Ifjúság str. 6. | Office 204/A +36-30/121-7035 zsido.andras@pte.hu
Contact
Pécsi Tudományegyetem | Kancellária | Informatikai és Innovációs Igazgatóság | Portál csoport - 2020.