To achieve its mission, PSICOM relies on the federation of three main research groups, each focusing on a specific area of the Psychology of Communication.
ExperienceLab is a research group founded and coordinated by Prof. Andrea Gaggioli and Prof. Alice Chirico. The laboratory's main area of research concerns the study of the psychology of experience and complex emotions. At the methodological level, research focuses on defining new approaches to measuring and evaluating experience (UX), using a wide range of approaches, tools and technologies. At the applied level, the lab develops approaches, methods and tools for designing engaging experiences that improve people's lives and help organizations achieve their goals.
The Laboratory of Communication Psychology was founded in 1997/1998 in cooperation with the Faculty of Psychology of the Catholic University of Milan. The scientific direction was entrusted until 2020 to Prof. Rita Ciceri, professor of General Psychology and Communication Psychology for Wellbeing. Methods of investigation include experimental research both in the laboratory and in the field, emotional induction and naturalistic observation, as well as computerized analysis of nonverbal behavior. The laboratory makes use of comprehensive instrumentation for acoustic and nonverbal behavior analysis, up-to-date hardware and software for digital signal analysis. Special attention is given to the methodological study of acquisition and analysis techniques for detecting patterns or expressive configurations of synchronized and semantically related behavior.
Laboratory of Communicative Interaction and New Technologies (LICENT)
The Laboratory of Communicative Interaction and New Technologies (LICENT), directed by Prof. Giuseppe Riva, deals with basic and applied research pertaining to media psychology, cyberpsychology, and cybertherapy. The main topics concern the study of presence in variable virtuality environments; the implications of new media for psychological well-being (positive technology); and the therapeutic and rehabilitative applications of virtual reality. The lab uses advanced research technologies including immersive virtual devices, tools for measuring psychophysiological, neurophysiological, and behavioral responses (e.g., eye-tracking).