BrainMap

Laurentiu Paul Maricutoiu

Associate Professor - UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA

Researcher

Web of Science ResearcherID: B-6875-2011

Curriculum Vitae (20/02/2024)

Expertise & keywords

Going from strength to strength (use). Capitalizing on proactive behaviors to increase employee well-being and performance Call name: P 4 - Proiecte de Cercetare Exploratorie, 2020
PN-III-P4-ID-PCE-2020-1880 2021 - 2023

Role in this project: Key expert

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA (RO)

Project website: http://psihologietm.ro/megsis/

Abstract:

Considering current research results regarding employee well-being and performance, the happy worker-productive worker thesis appears to require rejuvenation. The current proposal addresses this issue by proposing the Model of Enabling Gain Spirals through the Individual Strategies (MEGSIS) framework. Extending existent theories, such as JD-R, the MEGSIS framework explores reciprocal relations between job and personal resources, and individual strategies, as well as novel explanatory mechanisms in the emergence of employee well-being and performance. Employing two relatively new and understudied individual strategies – strengths use and proactive vitality management – the current proposal aims to (1) assess the efficacy of existing strengths use interventions; (2) validate the proposed MEGSIS framework through a series of longitudinal and weekly/daily diary studies at individual and team level; (3) devise and implement a state-of-the-art positive psychology intervention (PPI), based on a gamification approach, combining personal resources and individual strategy enhancement. Achieving these objectives will advance our understanding regarding (1) strengths use interventions effectiveness, (2) mechanisms involved in short-term fluctuations in employee well-being and performance, as well as the importance of a supportive climate at team level for individual strengths use enactment, and (3) the importance of combined PPIs. This will enable the creation of healthy organizations.

SMAPH - a model of short-term self-regulatory mechanisms in educational settings Call name: P 4 - Proiecte de Cercetare Exploratorie, 2020
PN-III-P4-ID-PCE-2020-1760 2021 - 2023

Role in this project: Project coordinator

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA (RO)

Project website: https://psihologietm.ro/smaph/

Abstract:

Recently, the subjective well-being of teachers and students gained increased attention from researchers, educators, and policy makers. In this project, we start from the observation that teacher subjective well-being and student subjective well-being are generally treated as separate research avenues. We argue that this separation is artificial and generated research results with limited utility for the educational settings. Therefore, in this project we advance the Spiral Model of Academic Performance and Health (SMAPH). The SMAPH is an integrative framework that emphasizes the interdependence between teachers and students, in terms of behaviours, subjective well-being, and strategies self-regulate to a common educational environment. Furthermore, the SMAPH assumes that all teacher-student interdependencies and self-regulatory processes have a short-term evolution (i.e., a semester). The research activities include i) a systematic literature review, ii) three longitudinal studies that test different parts of the SMAPH, and iii) a controlled intervention study in which we aim at improving the teacher and student subjective well-being using a teaching-skills intervention. The project team consists of one Principal Investigator, 2 Senior Researchers, 2 Post-Doctoral researchers, and 2 Doctoral students. The overall budget is 1.199.996 lei, and the total project length is 36 months .

Learning in emotionally vulnerable people Call name: P 3 - SP 3.6 - Premierea participării în Orizont 2020
PN-III-P3-3.6-H2020-2020-0106 2021 - 2023

Role in this project: Key expert

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA (RO)

Project website: http://socpers.psihologietm.ro/grantH2020_0106.html

Abstract:

Neuroticism is a non-pathological personality trait and is considered a risk factor for emotional problems. However, the mechanism through which neuroticism actions as a risk factor are not clear. The current project aims to clarify through an evaluative conditioning perspective what these mechanisms might be. Additionally, this project will contribute to raising West University of Timișoara (UVT) as one of the top universities involved in the study of this phenomenon. UVT has reached a level of excellence but its research practices should be continuously updated in order to maintain and rise its current level. In this regard, we will establish a communication network between UVT and two other lead international institutions on the subject of Evaluative Conditioning: University of Milano-Bicocca (UNIMIB) and Ghent University (UGENT).

Can the experience of uncertainty foster information update? An investigation using moral situations. Call name: P 1 - SP 1.1 - Proiecte de cercetare Postdoctorală
PN-III-P1-1.1-PD-2019-1144 2020 - 2022

Role in this project: Key expert

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA (RO)

Project website: http://socpers.psihologietm.ro/grantPD_1144.html

Abstract:

Morality is an important topic when discussing impression formation and decision-making. Research shows that people's moral reasoning is mainly intuitive (Haidt, 2001), even though secondary justifications might make it seem otherwise. According to Schein & Gray (2015), different people (for instance, liberals and conservatives) do not have different moral minds, but instead simply see harm differently. What are sometimes considered to be differences in perspectives on morality can be understood by decreasing differences in perceived harm (Schein & Grey, 2018). Although morality is an essential aspect of human cognition, the underpinning computational processes are not well understood (Siegel et al., 2018).

The objectives of the present project are:

• To verify if recent findings regarding moral impression updating (Siegel et al., 2018) replicate on a different sample of Romanian participants.

• To study how similarity and dissimilarity with oneself impacts the level of uncertainty when forming impressions about the morality of an "agent".

• To investigate the effect of the observer's sense of control on the level of uncertainty regarding another person's moral behavior.

By mapping the way people form moral impressions, and how uncertainty can foster the consideration of new knowledge, we can intervene in order to optimize human cognition, in support of a healthy adaptation.

Applications of the theories of self-control in reducing occupational burnout Call name: Projects for Young Research Teams - RUTE -2014 call
PN-II-RU-TE-2014-4-0398 2015 - 2017

Role in this project: Project coordinator

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA (RO)

Project website: http://socpers.psihologietm.ro/grantTE_0398.html

Abstract:

Occupational burnout is a problem with serious consequences and few solutions. Because interventions aimed at reducing burnout are not effective, the objective of the present research grant is to develop new types of interventions. Because the job can demand high levels of self control (e.g. not to be distracted by irrelevant activities), the employee will invest attentional resources to maintain focus on the important activities. Once these attentional resources are depleted, the employee experiences burnout. We suggest that self-control improvement can be an effective method to reduce occupational burnout, and intend to develop methods for self-control enhancement. There are two main novelties in the present proposal: the focus on self-control enhancement for reducing burnout, and the introduction of dual process models of behavior in occupational psychology. Using evaluative conditioning techniques that showed promissing results in health behavior research, we intend to increase the level of self-control of our participants. The activities include a review of the literature on self-control enhancement, a pilot controlled trial and a cross-validation controlled trial. The project team consists of one Principal Investigator, 2 Post-doctoral researchers and 2 Doctoral researchers, all employed part-time for the entire duration of the project. The overall budget is 549.892 lei.

A new Internet-delivered transdiagnostic intervention for anxiety and mood disorders Call name: Joint Applied Research Projects - PCCA 2013 - call
PN-II-PT-PCCA-2013-4-1820 2014 - 2017

Role in this project: Key expert

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA (RO); PRO CODER DEV S.R.L. (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA (RO)

Project website: http://www.e-cbt.info/

Abstract:

Transdiagnostic interventions represent a relatively new area of research with a high potential for the dissemination of parsimonious evidence-based programs. These interventions target core higher order factors such as negative affectivity and emotion dysregulation, using common intervention techniques applicable across disorders. It was recently establish that rumination and perfectionism significantly account for the development and maintenance of anxiety and mood disorders. However, there is no transdiagnostic program that included these factors, and the efficacy of such an intervention has never been tested. Epidemiological studies show that anxiety and depression are highly prevalent, impairing the lives of many individuals. Based on European data, we estimated that over one million Romanians are affected by anxiety and/or mood disorder.

The project’s main aim is to develop an innovative mental health service by proposing and testing a new transdiagnostic intervention program for anxiety and mood disorders. Developing a single program that could effectively reduce anxiety and depression has the potential to significantly impact public health, and to increase the international visibility of the Romanian research. Because internet-delivered interventions represent an effective way to disseminate evidence-based programs, we decided to present our intervention online. The online dimension contributes to the uniqueness of the present proposal, the integrated smartphone application further improving the technological innovation.

The contributions of this project can be analyzed at three distinct levels. At the theoretical level we will investigate whether addressing another couple of higher-order factors would significantly contribute to the decreasing of anxiety and depression. The role of both explicit and implicit cognitions in generating and maintaining psychopathology will also be investigated. At the practical-applicative level, the transdiagnostic intervention manual represents a useful and practical product. At the methodological level the web-platform has the potential to lower many of the barriers that currently hinder access to mental health services: the small number of competent psychotherapists, geographical distances, high cost of face-to-face therapy etc.

Within this joint project, two expert groups combine their efforts to develop and implement an innovative set of products, which could not be fully developed by either partner alone. The mental-health specialists are responsible for developing and testing the transdiagnostic intervention, for developing a new set of assessment measures, for delivering the online intervention, and for disseminating the program’s results. The IT specialists are mainly responsible for creating a new and integrated psychotherapy platform.

The project’s work plan is divided into three time-blocks: initial developments including the alpha versions of the transdiagnostic intervention, assessment measures, and integrated web-platform; effectiveness testing including the online delivery of the beta version of the intervention as a randomized control trial and dissemination including one press conference, preparing manuscripts, training mental-health practitioners. As activities associated with each of the three time-blocks follow a logical sequence, they facilitate the attainment of the project’s main objectives.

The project results will be disseminated to scientist in the academic community, to mental-health practitioners, and to the people who could directly benefit from the treatment. Considering our previous experience with a similar disorder-specific online intervention we expect a favorable commercial reception. Moreover, giving the ease of expanding our repertoire of interventions, the psychotherapy web-platform represents a valuable infrastructure for testing, delivering and selling various programs, with a high potential of future commercialization, beyond the project duration

Causal mechanisms for attitudes formation and attitudes change based on evaluative conditioning Call name: Exploratory Research Projects - PCE-2012 call
PN-II-ID-PCE-2012-4-0621 2013 - 2016

Role in this project: Key expert

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA (RO)

Project website: http://socpers.psihologietm.ro/grantIDEI.html

Abstract:

This project is focused on a particular manner in which our preferences (likes and dislikes) can be learned or changed, namely the evaluative conditioning (EC). While previous studies have showed that the EC effect is reliable, we aim to uncover the mechanisms of change responsible for such effects. We will focus both on attitude formation and attitude change, addressing the causal mechanisms involved in three different EC paradigms: classical, surveillance, and alternate sequential. Two competitive mechanisms of change will be tested (contingency awareness and implicit misattribution), which are considered the most plausible in terms of theoretical accounts and previous empirical results.

We will run a series of carefully controlled experiments in the tradition of social cognition research, while testing the necessary criteria for identifying valid causal mechanisms according to the evidence based approach. We will measure the EC effects using both explicit (e.g. Likert-type questions) and implicit measures of preference change (e.g. IAT, AMP).

By addressing these issues, both theoretical advances and practical implications are sought. From a theoretical point of view, the causal mechanism will help advancing the field of studies focusing on deliberate vs. automatic attitudes. From a practical perspective the discovery of mechanisms of change will help optimizing any EC procedure and will encourage the expansion of a wide area of applicative studies (e.g. marketing, health).

Investigation of strategies for enhancing predictive validity in personality assessment Call name: Postdoctoral Research Projects - PD-2012 call
PN-II-RU-PD-2012-3-0161 2013 - 2015

Role in this project: Project coordinator

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA (RO)

Project website: http://socpers.psihologietm.ro/grantPD.html

Abstract:

The present proposal starts from the observation that the indices of predictive validity have very low values (up to .35) in the case of personality assessment. Therefore, the project aims at analysing three methods used for improvement of predictive validity in personality research: traitness, self-schemata and measures of implicit association (IATs). The first objective of this project is to review previous literature on improvement of predictive validity using methods specific to meta-analysis. Starting from the matrices of estimated true score correlations, we will use structural equations models for testing various types of relations between self-reported personality measures, behavioral criteria and the methods used for increasing predictive validity. The second objective of this project is to analyze the independence or the common variance of these three methods, using a multi-method multi-matrix approach. Reports of these two investigations will be published in ISI journals with an impact factor higher than 1.5. The project duration is 24 months, and the overall budget is 287760 lei (66920.93 EUR).

Age and health challenges for working students: a longitudinal investigation of self-regulatory processes Call name: P 3 - SP 3.1 - Proiecte de mobilități, România-Belgia (bilaterale)
PN-III-P3-3.1-PM-RO-BE-2016-0027 2016 -

Role in this project: Project coordinator

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA (RO); Université catholique de Louvain (BE); UNIVERSITATEA BUCURESTI (RO); UNIVERSITATEA "ŞTEFAN CEL MARE" DIN SUCEAVA (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA (RO)

Project website:

Abstract:

Propunerea de faţă are ca scop studierea relaţiilor dintre stres şi sănătatea fizică şi psihică, într-o populaţie de studenţi cu vârsta peste 45 de ani. Premisa de la care pornim este că modelele tradiţionale ale stresului au redus importanţa sănătăţii fizice. Noi sugerăm că sănătatea fizică poate fi un factor de stres în plus, şi diferit de alte solicitări psihosociale. Propunem două cercetări longitudinale, cu scopul de a investiga: a) posibile relaţii cauzale între sănătatea fizică şi psihică, şi b) procesele autoreglatorii care pot modera aceste relaţii cauzale. Echipa de cercetare este compusă din 12 cercetători din cadrul a trei universităţi româneşti, şi 3 cercetători din cadrul Universităţii Catolice din Louvain.

FILE DESCRIPTION	DOCUMENT
List of research grants as project coordinator	Download (13.99 kb) 06/05/2016
List of research grants as partner team leader
List of research grants as project coordinator or partner team leader
Significant R&D projects for enterprises, as project manager
R&D activities in enterprises
Peer-review activity for international programs/projects