Psychology

We investigate how mind and matter make a difference to each other — from the origins of life and agency to how individuals, technologies, and cultures shape thought and experience. Our work is anchored by irruption theory, a framework developed in the unit for understanding mental causation as structured unpredictability.

The Computational Neuroethology Unit seeks to uncover the principles governing animal behavior and its neural basis. We are currently focusing on cephalopods: squid, octopus, and cuttlefish.

The Human Developmental Neurobiology Unit investigates the nature and causes of ADHD, including reward sensitivity, translating this information into empirically supported treatments.

The Cognitive Neurorobotics Research Unit is dedicated to investigating the principles of embodied cognition by conducting experimental studies in synthetic neurorobotics. The primary goals of our research are to understand:on how innate structures can be leveraged to develop cognitive constructs through iterative but limited behavioral experiences; how primary intersubjectivity in social cognition can be formed through enactive and contextual interactions with others; and how subjective experiences such as consciousness and free will can be scientifically and phenomenologically explained. In addition, our developmental neurorobotics approach is intended to uncover the underlying mechanisms of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism. Through these researches, we can expect to deepen our ontological understanding of human beings, rather than simply creating another smart machine-learning robot.