BOOST Perception

Research lines of the group documented by publications in the period 2020-2024 

The goal of the research group is the integration of expertise in methodology and neuropsychology to investigate the neuropsychological mechanisms of visual perception of intelligence and executive functions, as well as the representation of the body and the space around it, and the link between space and time. 

• Measurement and analysis methods of visual perception and basic cognitive functions 
• Development and application of statistical models and methods (e.g. Artificial Intelligence, Multivariate Analysis, Bayesian Inference) applied for measuring and modeling cognitive functions, visual and auditory perception, intelligence, executive functions, and representation of action space and social space. 
• Advanced statistical techniques for measuring and modeling cognitive functions related to perception, intelligence, executive functions, and representation of action space and social space. 
• Study of the representation of the bodily self, the representation of action space and social space 
• Study of the representation of time in its different durations and projection in past and future time (mental time travel) 

The following populations are studied: neurologically healthy subjects, patients with focal brain injury, patients with psychiatric disorders, patients with neurodevelopmental disorders (autism, specific learning disorders, ADHD). 

The following are studied: neurologically healthy subjects, patients with focal brain injury, patients with psychiatric disorders, patients with developmental disorders (autism, learning disorders). 

Head

Mariagrazia Benassi

Settori ERC

• SH4 The Human Mind and Its Complexity: Cognitive science, psychology, linguistics, education 
• SH4_2 Human life-span development  
• SH4_3 Neuropsychology  
• SH4_4 Cognitive and experimental psychology: perception, action, and higher cognitive processes 
• LS5 Neurosciences and Neural Disorders: Neurobiology, neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, neurochemistry, neuropharmacology, neuroimaging, systems neuroscience, neurological and psychiatric disorders  
• LS5_7 Cognition (e.g. learning, memory, emotions, speech)  
• LS5_12 Psychiatric disorders (e.g. schizophrenia, autism, Tourette’s syndrome, obsessive compulsive disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)

Scientific Disciplinary Sector: PSIC-01/B & PSIC-01/C

Selected publications of the group for the period 2020-2024

1. Matteo Orsoni, Sara Giovagnoli, Sara Garofalo, Sara Magri, Martina Benvenuti, Elvis Mazzoni, Mariagrazia Benassi, Preliminary evidence on machine learning approaches for clusterizing students’ cognitive profile, «HELIYON», 2023, 9, Article number: e14506, pp. 1 - 11 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14506
2. Benassi, M., Garofalo, S., Ambrosini, F., Sant’Angelo, R.P., Raggini, R., De Paoli, G., Ravani, C., Giovagnoli, S., Orsoni, M., Piraccini, G. Using Two-Step Cluster Analysis and Latent Class Cluster Analysis to Classify the Cognitive Heterogeneity of Cross-Diagnostic Psychiatric Inpatients (2020) Frontiers in Psychology, 11, art. no. 1085, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01085
3. Garofalo, Sara; Degni, Luigi A. E.; Sellitto, Manuela; Braghittoni, Davide; Starita, Francesca; Giovagnoli, Sara; di Pellegrino, Giuseppe; Benassi, Mariagrazia, Unifying Evidence on Delay Discounting: Open Task, Analysis Tutorial, and Normative Data from an Italian Sample, «INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH», 2022, 19, Article number: 2049, pp. 1 - 16, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042049
4. Giovagnoli, S., Marotta, L., Magri, S., Muuccinelli, M., Albani, A., Casu, G., Garofalo, S., Benassi, M. (2020) Preliminary Validation of the CI-FRA Checklist: A Simple Screening Tool for Measuring the Early Signs of Reading and Spelling Disorders in Italian Primary Students (2020) Frontiers in Psychology, 11, art. no. 516424, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.516424
5. Cantarella, Giovanni; Vianello, Greta; Vezzadini, Giuliana; Frassinetti, Francesca; Ciaramelli, Elisa; Candini, Michela, Time bisection and reproduction: Evidence for a slowdown of the internal clock in right brain damaged patients, «CORTEX», 2023, 167, pp. 303 - 317 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2023.05.024
6. Candini M.; di Pellegrino G.; Frassinetti F., The plasticity of the interpersonal space in autism spectrum disorder, «NEUROPSYCHOLOGIA», 2020, 147, Article number: 107589, pp. 1 - 9, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107589

Funding for the period 2020-2024 

International Projects 

• 2020 Human Brain Project FLAG-ERA JTC - Basic and Applied Research MoDeM - The "Motor-way" to Decision-Making: how the motor system drives cue-triggered decisions (Approx 600.000 Euro) (PI Giuseppe DiPellegrino) 

National Projects 

•  2021 FISR Finanziamento MUR titolo “Dispositivi di sicurezza e distanze sociali nei luoghi aperti e chiusi (Francesca Frassinetti, coordinatore locale, con Prof Iachini PI) 
• PRIN2020 “Computerized, Adaptive and Personalized Assessment of Executive Functions and Fluid Intelligence” (Mariagrazia Benassi Coordinatore locale con Prof Stefanutti PI )  

Active National and International Collaborations for the period 2020-2024 

International collaborations 

• Karolinska Institutet (Dr Pansell, Dr Hellgren) 
• DFKI, Germania (Dr Milos Kravcic) 
• Universitè de Lyon (Prof. Farnè) 
• University College London (Dr. Cappelletti) 
• Birkbeck University, London (Prof. Longo) 
• Università Vienna (Dr. Silani) 
• Hebrew University Jerusalem (Dr. Arzy) 

National collaborations 

• Seconda Università Napoli (Prof.ssa Iachini) 
• La Sapienza, Roma (Prof. Zoccolotti e Prof.ssa Borghi) 
• UNIMORE, Reggio Emilia (Prof.ssa Scorza) 

Unibo collaborations 

• Dipartimento di Filosofia e Comunicazione (Prof.ssa Lugli) 

Editorial activities in the period 2020-2024 

• PlosOne (Mariagrazia Benassi, Academic Editor) 
• Quantitative Psychology and Measurement, specialty section della rivista Frontiers in Psychology e della rivista Frontiers in Applied Mathematics and Statistics (Sara Giovagnoli, Associate Editor) 
• Dis, sezione Dislessia (Sara Giovagnoli, Membro del Comitato di redazione) 

Fellow in scientific academies and / or executive committees of scientific associations for the period 2020-2024 

 Mariagrazia Benassi 

• AIP - sezione sperimentale 
• VSS- Vision Science Society 
• EMPG-European Mathematical Psychology 
• SRCD - Society Research Child Development 

Sara Giovagnoli 

• AIP - sezione sperimentale